In a discovery that left park officials astonished, Barry G. Smith, a grandfather from Tennessee, unearthed a spectacular 2.29-carat yellow diamond at Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park. While enjoying a day of searching for gems with his granddaughters, Sage and Juniper, Smith initially dismissed the glimmering find in the East Drain section as mere mica, a common, glittery mineral. It wasn’t until he had the stone inspected at the park’s Diamond Discovery Center that its true nature was revealed. Park supervisor Ralph Hall expressed his surprise, noting the diamond’s shape and color were reminiscent of other significant finds, and highlighted that yellow diamonds are exceedingly rare within the park, with most visitors typically finding brown or white stones. This rare yellow hue is attributed to nitrogen impurities absorbed during the diamond’s formation, which absorb blue light and reflect yellow wavelengths. Smith, delighted by the unexpected treasure, has named the gem the Sage Juniper Diamond in honor of his granddaughters, marking it as the third-largest diamond discovered at the park this year amidst an average of one to two finds per day.
Adapted from: Travel News Today on Fox News
