A French visitor to the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, unearthed a 7.46-carat diamond on Jan. 11.
Julien Navas, who lives in Paris, said he had gone out gold digging and searching for ammonite fossils in the past, so when he learned about the Crater of Diamonds, he was immediately interested in visiting, according to a news release from the park.
Navas said he rented a basic diamond hunting kit at the park and dug for most of the day before he made his lucky discovery.
"I got to the park around [9 a.m.] and started to dig," Navas said. "That is back-breaking work, so by the afternoon, I was mainly looking on top of the ground for anything that stood out."
Navas' search was aided by the fact that it had rained a few days before his visit.
"We periodically plow the search area to loosen the diamond-bearing soil and promote natural erosion," assistant park superintendent Waymon Cox said. "As rain falls on the field, it washes away the dirt and uncovers heavy rocks, minerals and diamonds near the surface."
The 7.46-carat diamond Navas discovered bears a deep brown color, is the size of an average gumdrop candy and is round like a marble, according to the park.
After finding the brown diamond, the Parisian said he was stunned. He said he hopes to return in the future with his daughter.
"I am so happy! All I can think about is telling my fiancee what I found," said Navas, who named the gem after his fiancee, calling it the Carine Diamond.
Navas said he is also hoping to have the diamond split into two gemstones -- one for his fiancee and one for his daughter.
According to the park, more than 75,000 diamonds have been found since the Crater of Diamonds State Park first opened in 1972.
"[Crater of Diamonds State Park] is a magical place, where the dream of finding a diamond can come true! It was a real great adventure," Navas added.
