The Terry Skaggs diamond find on the Fourth of July is amazing evidence that there are still diamonds waiting to be found in America. The newly named “Patriot Diamond” is almost three carats, with a beautiful champagne brown color that makes it way more stylish than your average plain white jewelry mall diamond.
The State Parks of Arkansas recently announced the 2.95 Patriot Diamond find, which was found at the popular diamond-hunting site Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro. The tourist from Kentucky told the park staff that he found the diamond after a two-and-a-half hour search.
I think I’m jealous of the Terry Skaggs’ diamond already. I’ve been out there all day and not had a hit, but I suspect you have to have a trained eye. The park statement noted that Skaggs has hunted the park three times a year for an amazing 28 years, and it isn’t the first diamond he’s found — just the largest.
Park Interpreter Waymon Cox commented:
“Mr. Staggs’ diamond appears to be a complete crystal and is shaped like a shield. It’s about the size of an English Pea and has a golden brown metallic appearance…The diamond looks similar in shape to the 4.21-carat yellow Okie Dokie Diamond, which was discovered by Oklahoma State Trooper Marvin Culver at the Crater of Diamonds in 2006.”
The park has had a well-deserved reputation for years as a good hunting place for canary, champagne, and other golden American diamonds.
Arkansas State Parks provided photos, including this blow-up of the Patriot Diamond. Isn’t she a beauty?
Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only public place in the world where you can pay a fee to hunt diamonds and keep what you find. The staff will help you identify and register your finds.
They say that over 75,000 diamonds have been found since 1906, and there have already been over 300 diamonds found this year.
Terry Skaggs’ Patriot Diamond is a fine addition to the total.
[photos by State Parks of Arkansas]
