It’s been a good summer for diamond finds at the Crater of Diamonds State Park.
The park has an area where visitors can search for diamonds and keep what they find. Michael Dettlaff, 12, of Apex, N.C., hit the jackpot on July 31 when he discovered a 5.16 ct. brown stone at the public park in Murfreesboro, Ark., after searching for less than 10 minutes.
The Boy Scout has since named the stone the “God’s Glory Diamond.” The gem is described as “honey-brown” and the size of a jelly bean, and is the 27th-largest gem ever found at the park.
In a statement, park interpreter Waymon Cox said the gem is “truly glorious” with a “beautiful metallic luster” and some “interesting notches that give it a one-of-a-kind appearance.”
This find is particularly unusual since it was discovered so quickly. His father was in the midst of renting mining equipment when Dettlaff showed him the stone.
“When I brought this rock out of the bag, the guy who was there, he just went bug-eyed,” the preteen told ABC News. “If it can be cut and is valuable, I’d like to sell it. And if it’s not, it’s just a great souvenir.”
The 5.16 ct. brown found by 12-year-old Michael Dettlaff.
Added his father, Chris Dettlaff: “It’s just amazing how much attention a 5 ct. diamond brings.”
“It is thrilling any time a child finds a diamond here at Crater of Diamonds State Park,” Cox said. “Michael was excited to have found his own diamond, as just about any boy would be, but he was absolutely awestruck when he realized its significance.… To Michael, the entire experience may have felt like a dream, but it is certainly a dream come true, and an adventure he will remember for the rest of his life.”
On July 4, a man scavenging at the park found a 2.95 ct. brown, which he named the “Patriot Diamond.”
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