A recent trip to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, turned out to be an unexpected stroke of luck for Jerry Evans. What he initially mistook for a piece of clear glass during a visit earlier this year with his girlfriend has turned out to be a nearly colorless 4.87-carat diamond, leaving Evans ecstatic about the discovery.
Recounting their visit, Evans mentioned that during their exploration of the park’s 37-acre field—known for yielding diamonds from the eroded surface of a volcanic crater—he and his girlfriend picked up various items they found intriguing. Within just 10 minutes of their search, Evans stumbled upon the object atop a plowed ridge and decided to keep it, uncertain of its true nature.
“I thought it might be a piece of glass, it was so clear. I really didn’t know,” Evans admitted.
Upon further contemplation, Evans opted to send the stone to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) for professional identification, harboring a suspicion that it might be more than mere glass.
“When they called and told me it was real, I was tickled to death,” Evans expressed about the pyramid-shaped stone, roughly the size of a jellybean.
Prompted by his son, Evans reached out to the state park authorities to share the remarkable news of his find. Waymon Cox, assistant park superintendent, expressed his surprise, noting, “While I get many emails from people wanting me to identify something they’ve found here, to my recollection, this is the first time someone has contacted me after they’ve had a diamond identified by the GIA. I’m glad that Mr. Evans was able to bring his historic diamond back to the park to have it officially registered.”
Describing Evans’ discovery, Cox remarked, “Mr. Evans’ diamond is spectacular to see. It’s a complete crystal with a brilliant white color reminiscent of many other large, white diamonds I’ve seen from here in the past.”
This newly found gem becomes the largest stone registered at the park since 2020 when Kevin Kinard unearthed a 9.07-carat brown diamond. Coincidentally, Kinard too initially mistook his find for a piece of glass.
“It kind of looked interesting and shiny, so I put it in my bag and kept searching,” Kinard reminisced about his discovery.
However, Kinard’s perceived glass shard turned out to be the second-largest gemstone ever found at the park, leaving him overwhelmed. “I honestly teared up when they told me,” he shared. “I was in complete shock.”
