An amateur rock collector recently hit the jackpot while exploring a state park in Arkansas.
David DeCook, a Minnesota resident, unearthed a stunning 3.81-carat brown diamond at the Crater of Diamonds State Park on April 21.
The diamond is the largest that has been found in the park in 2025 so far, according to Arkansas State Parks.
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In a press release, the government organization said that DeCook was on a family trip to the park when he found the gem.
“DeCook calmly walked over to where he had seen the diamond, picked it up and inspected it before calling to his brother,” the press release noted. “Stirring up some natural sibling rivalry, David told Derek, ‘”Oh, you’re going to be mad once you see what I found!’”
The Minnesota resident returned to the park a few days later to register the diamond.
DeCook decided to name his discovery “the Duke Diamond” after his dog.
DeCook identified himself as a farmer to FOX 9 Minneapolis and told the outlet that the diamond “kind of looks like a candy wrapper.”
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“Real shiny looking, kind of like a Werther’s candy wrapper… As you get closer to it, you can tell it’s a diamond pretty quick,” he said.
DeCook added, “I was very surprised, I guess, and never thought I’d find one that big.”
“You just never know what you’re gonna find. It’s a chance of a lifetime.”
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Arkansas State Parks also noted that after DeCook found the gem, a heavy amount of rain covered the area – a good omen for diamond hunters.
“April has been a very wet month at the park, with more than 12 inches of rain,” assistant park superintendent Waymon Cox said in a statement.
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“Many of the park’s largest diamonds are found on top of the ground,” he added.
“As rain falls in the search area, it washes away the dirt and uncovers heavy rocks, minerals and diamonds near the surface.”
The Duke Diamond is the largest find at the Crater of Diamonds State Park since a French visitor found a 7.46-carat diamond in Jan. 2024.
The tourist, Julien Navas, named the gem after his fiancée, Carine.
