Teacher finds 2.12 carat diamond in Arkansas park
A vacationing teacher recently found a 2.12 carat, brandy-coloured diamond at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds state park.
And the best news?
He gets to keep it, according to park rules.
Josh Lanik, 36, had only been on the hunt for two hours with his family when he found the rock.
“We took the kids to look for amethyst on Canary Hill, and I was walking through an area where it looked like a lot of water had washed when I saw it,” Lanik said in a press release issued by the park.
He wasn't sure what he had found, but he knew it was worth holding on to.
“It was blatantly obvious there was something different about it," he said.
"I saw the shine, and when I picked it up and rolled it in my hand, I noticed there weren’t any sharp edges.”
Photo of Lanik's diamond. Courtesy: Crater of Diamonds State Park.
Park Interpreter Waymon Cox said that a recent bout of heavy rain may have pushed the diamond closer to the surface, making it easier to find.
"In the days after the rainfall, park staff registered numerous diamonds found right on the surface of the search area, including two weighing over one carat.”
According to Cox, about 1 in every 10 diamonds registered by park visitors is found on top of the ground. When rain unearths the larger diamonds, they sparkle in the sun and are easier to find.
As of press time, 296 diamonds have been registered at Crater of Diamonds State Park in 2019, with a total weight of 53.94 carats.
Lanik told CNN he's not sure if he's going to trade his find in for cash.
Sources: Arkansas State Park | CNN