2-Carat Diamond Found by a Visitor from Washington at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park

A visitor preparing a surprise engagement ring for his partner recently found a two-carat diamond while visiting the Arkansas Crater of Diamonds. Here’s what happened.

26-year-old Christian Liden, from Poulsbo, Washington, could not believe his eyes when he found a 2-carat diamond during his visit to the Arkansas Crater of Diamonds.

Liden and his friend have been seeking gemstones to add to his collection and built their special digging equipment to aid their search.

The 26-year-old has been hunting gemstones to make his engagement ring and started searching around his home state. After five years, Liden has gathered enough to make his dream come true.

Liden and his longtime friend left Washington on May 1 and arrived in Arkansas on May 9. The duo set to work immediately after they arrived at the city, and it did not take long before their hard work paid off.

On the third day of their search, the duo got lucky and found what they had traveled thousands of miles for. While the 26-year-old was going about his business in the field, he spotted a tiny shiny object, and at that point, he realized his trip was about to bring a huge payoff.

An excited Liden placed the newly found gem in a plastic bag and carried it to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, where staff confirmed he had found a large, yellow diamond.

His discovery was not only rewarding but also historic.

Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, noted that the moment was a special one for Liden and his friend and everyone at the park. He remarked that he loves seeing visitors at the park finding significant diamonds.

According to reports, Liden’s diamond is the largest found at the park since last October, after another visitor from Fayetteville found a 4.49-carat yellow diamond. The discovery was the third-largest diamond of the year.

Liden’s diamond has some unique features to it. It has a triangular shape and a sparkling, metallic luster. The 2.20-carat diamond contains a few inclusions like most diamonds from the famous park.

Liden revealed that he is surprised by the success he found at the park. He explained that he has nursed the dream of creating a luxury ring for his partner but was not sure he would find it this easy.

Like many others who find a large crater of diamonds, the 26-year-old is naming his newly found gem the Washington Sunshine, explaining that it has a nice yellow color like the sun in Washington.

In other news, an Arkansas man found has what has been reported to be the second-largest diamond found at the Crater of Diamonds State Park. 33-year-old Kevin Kinard found a 9-carat diamond after decades of searching. His discovery was not only rewarding but also historic.