Minnesota Man Discovers 3.81-Carat Diamond at Arkansas State Park in Rare Find

Talk about striking gold—or in this case, something even shinier. David DeCook, an amateur rock collector from Minnesota, just stumbled onto a "candy-like" 3.81-carat brown diamond at Arkansas's Crater of Diamonds State Park, making it the park's largest find of 2025 so far.

DeCook was enjoying a family trip when he made the glittering discovery on April 21. According to park officials, he nonchalantly picked up the diamond, inspected it, and then called his brother over—with a classic sibling tease: "Oh, you're going to be mad once you see what I found!" Honestly, if this doesn't spark a lifetime of family bragging rights, I don't know what will.

After finding the gem, DeCook returned a few days later to officially register his treasure. He decided to name it "the Duke Diamond" after his dog. Yes, even man's best friend gets a nod in this diamond story. DeCook, who works as a farmer, described the diamond as looking a lot like a shiny candy wrapper—specifically likening it to a Werther's. As he put it, "As you get closer to it, you can tell it's a diamond pretty quick." Must be nice to have that kind of luck—most of us just find old bottle caps.

DeCook admitted his surprise at the find, calling it a "chance of a lifetime." Turns out, recent heavy rains at the park may have helped uncover the diamond, with over 12 inches falling in April alone. Park officials note that big diamonds often surface after storms as rain washes away dirt and exposes hidden gems—so if you're planning a diamond hunt, maybe pack your rain boots.

This shiny prize is the biggest diamond found in the park since a French tourist, Julien Navas, unearthed a whopping 7.46-carat gem in January 2024—naming it after his fiancée. Seems like every rock has a love story these days.