Man stumbles onto rare diamond treasure during Arkansas park trip with family: 'Knew it was different'

A Texas antheral unearthed an unexpected treasure during a household travel this wintertime — each acknowledgment to his sons and his wife's Siri search.

Arkansas State Parks precocious shared quality astir the find, which was made astatine Crater of Diamonds State Park successful Pike County. Forty-one-year-old James Ward unearthed the 2.09-carat brownish diamond connected Dec. 30.

Ward, who lives successful Cypress, Texas, was visiting the parkland with his wife, Elizabeth, and their 2 young sons, Adrian, 9, and Austin, 7.

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Visiting the parkland was the 7-year-old's idea, according to Elizabeth Ward. 

"One time we were watching TV, and Austin came and said, ‘Mommy, Mommy, is determination immoderate spot successful Texas oregon adjacent that we tin excavation for crystals?’" the parent recalled.

James Ward of Cypress, Texas, recovered the diamond portion visiting the Arkansas parkland with his woman and 2 young sons. (Arkansas State Parks)

She rapidly searched with Siri and recovered accusation connected Crater of Diamonds State Park.

"I sent the nexus to James, and he’s like, ‘Oh wait, that’s lone similar six hours away. We tin go!’" added Elizabeth Ward.

"Listen to your kids astir their dreams and what they privation to do!"

The gem, named the Ward Diamond, was recovered connected the family's 2nd time of searching. 

The archetypal time was agelong and cold, but 9-year-old Adrian encouraged the household to travel backmost the adjacent time — erstwhile the gem was found.

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"I didn’t cognize what it was, but I knew it was antithetic than everything other I had found," said the dad. 

Waymon Cox, an adjunct parkland superintendent, compared the diamond to a maize kernel.

"[It has] a acheronian yellowish-brown hue and a beautiful, metallic luster [that's] diagnostic of each Crater diamonds," said Cox.

Park officials described the Ward Diamond arsenic having a acheronian yellowish-brown hue and metallic luster. (Arkansas State Parks)

He added that crater diamonds formed successful Earth's precocious mantle — and "were carried to the aboveground by an past volcanic pipe" millions of years ago.

"Most are chipped, breached oregon see flaws from the immense geological forces they endured," Cox said.

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"Given its existent size, you tin ideate however overmuch bigger Mr. Ward’s diamond mightiness person been arsenic a implicit crystal." 

What lies up for the diamond is chartless — and Ward said he's unfastened to selling it oregon keeping it.

The diamond emerged connected the 2nd time aft acold upwind chopped abbreviated the family’s archetypal attempt. (Arkansas State Parks)

"I’ll person to spot however overmuch it’s worthy first," helium said. 

Ward besides encouraged chap parkland visitors not to springiness up connected their archetypal time of digging.

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"Listen to your kids astir their dreams and what they privation to do!" his woman added. 

Arkansas State Parks told Fox News Digital that parkland employees "are not trained to people oregon appraise diamonds oregon different rocks and minerals."

"I’ll person to spot however overmuch it's worth," said Ward astir his uncommon find.  (Arkansas State Parks)

"Our superior grooming involves decently identifying and registering diamonds for guests who find them," the authoritative said. 

"Anyone funny successful having their diamonds graded oregon appraised tin scope retired to a certified gemologist, who has had peculiar grooming to decently people gemstone prime and estimation value."

Ward's find adds to a increasing database of important gems recovered by visitors astatine Crater of Diamonds State Park.

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An Oklahoma household unearthed a 2.79-carat diamond astatine Crater of Diamonds State Park backmost successful September, acknowledgment to tools they bought astatine a dollar store.

In April, a Minnesota nonmigratory unearthed a stunning 3.81-carat brownish diamond astatine the parkland — a find that helium compared to a candy wrapper.