Julien Navas, a Parisian visitor to the United States, stumbled upon the adventure of a lifetime during a spur-of-the-moment detour to the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. Navas, who had panned for gold and searched for fossils in the past, decided to try his luck at diamond hunting and ended up striking it rich.
On January 11, Navas arrived at the park and began digging for treasures. Due to recent rainfall, the ground was wet and muddy, making it easier for diamonds to surface. After hours of searching, Navas unearthed a stunning 7.46-carat brown diamond, which he named the Carine Diamond after his fiancé.
The discovery of the Carine Diamond marks the eighth-largest diamond found in the park since it became a state park in 1972. Park visitors, on average, find one to two diamonds every day, with many of the largest stones being found near the surface.
Geologists explained that the diamonds at the park were carried to the surface by a volcanic eruption around 100 million years ago, making the area a hotspot for diamond enthusiasts like Navas.
Overwhelmed by his find, Navas described the park as a “magical place” where dreams can come true. He plans to have the diamond cut into two pieces, one for his fiancé and the other for his daughter, and hopes to return to the park with his family in the future.
The unexpected turn of events at the Crater of Diamonds State Park transformed Navas’ US trip into a real great adventure, proving that sometimes the best experiences come from spontaneous decisions.
