7-year-old Aspen Brown has found the second largest diamond recorded this year at an Arkansas state park. It was found while she was visiting Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfeesboro with her family to celebrate her birthday.
The stone is a 2.95 golden brown-carat diamond which is one heck of a birthday present. So far this year the only diamond larger than Brown’s was found in March. That gem is also brown but weighs about 3.29 carats.
The 7-year-old made the find while she and her family were walking on a plowed field, above the eroded surface of a volcano. “She got hot and wanted to sit down for a minute, so she walked over to some big rocks by the fence line,” her father, Luther Brown told park officials. “Next thing I know, she was running to me, saying ‘Dad! Dad! I found one!”
So, the Brown family stopped by the Diamond Discovery Center to have park officials confirm the child’s find.
“Aspen’s diamond has a golden-brown color and a sparkling luster,” Assistant Park Superintendent, Waymon Cox said. “It is a complete crystal with no broken facets and a small crevice on one side that was created when the diamond was formed. Its certainly one of the most beautiful diamonds I’ve seen in recent years,”
It’s common for visitors the name the diamond(s) they find in the park. Her father thought the Aspen diamond would be the perfect name for this stone. “There was no skill required for her to find it. She was just in the right place at the right time,” said Luther.
The first record diamond found in the area was unearthed by John Huddleston in 1972. Since then over 75,000 diamonds have been found, according to park officials. Roughly one to two diamonds are found at the park by visitors per day. Just this year alone 563 diamonds have been registered at the park, totaling more than 89 carats.
But Brown’s discovery is the first large diamond registered since park officials started an excavation project last month.
“A contracted company dug a 150-yard trench in August to help manage erosion on the north side of the search area,” Park Superintendent, Caleb Howell explained. “Several tons of unsearched diamond-bearing material were exposed and it’s very possible that this diamond and others were uncovered as a result.”
We wish Aspen Brown a belated happy birthday along with a hardy congratulations on her find.
