Minnesota couple unearths 1.9-carat diamond at Arkansas diamond crater
The Ericksons unearthed a diamond chunk last week. (Arkansas State Parks / Supplied)
(FOX 9) - On a road trip for their 10th anniversary, a southern Minnesota couple came back home with some new bling.
According to Arkansas State Parks, Jessica and Seth Erickson from Chatfield, Minnesota – about 20 miles southeast of Rochester – discovered a 1.9-carat diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Pike County, Arkansas.
According to a release from the parks published last week, the couple arrived at Crater of Diamonds on a recent Friday morning when Seth came across the diamond while wet sifting near the North Washing Area.
(Arkansas State Parks / Supplied)
Park interpreter Tayler Markham, who wrote the press release on the find, explained the method: "Two screens are used to wet sift. The top screen has a bigger mesh size, one-quarter of an inch, while the bottom screen is smaller, about 1/16 of an inch. Guests submerge screen sets in water to wash away the soil. Once the soil is removed, the gravel is then separated by size and weight to make diamonds easier to find."
Park officials measured the brown diamond at 1.90 carats – which they say is the size of a "pony bead." The value of the diamond would likely be in the thousands of dollars, but an exact estimate is unknown.,
On average, Markham writes that one to two diamonds are found each day by visitors to the park.
Apparently, it's a tradition to name a diamond found at the park. The Ericksons chose to call theirs "HIMO" representing their children's initials.