A Navy reservist who has spent more than a decade hunting for gems at Arkansas’s Crater of Diamonds State Park has pulled a rare, 6.03-carat yellow diamond from the gravel — a find he has named the “American Dream” and which experts say could be worth up to $250,000.
Jack Pearadin discovered the diamond on Jan. 25 during a TikTok livestream, as he processed a bucket of gravel he and his friend Michael Schumacher had collected from the park’s search area in late December. Schumacher was traveling at the time and was not present for the discovery.
The gravel had been gathered shortly after a winter storm coated the area with more than an inch of ice, which made the usual sifting and washing process especially difficult.
“I was about eight feet away, and for some reason I turned back and saw [the gem] glowing from the center of the pile,” Pearadin said. “I had to go almost to the bottom of the pile to pull it out, it was so big. I was shaking!”
His reaction was captured live on camera. “Oh my God! Oh my God!” he exclaimed during the stream. “We got a big one!”
What It Might Be Worth
Pearadin told The Associated Press that some collectors have estimated the diamond could be worth as much as $1 million. Arkansas State Parks officials, however, say their staff don’t appraise gems. “Our primary training involves properly identifying and registering diamonds for guests who find them,” a park official said, adding that anyone wanting a formal appraisal should consult a certified gemologist.
Laura Stanley, a certified gem appraiser based in Little Rock, told the AP that a high-quality six-carat yellow diamond recovered from the park could realistically sell for around $250,000.
“They are their own entity. It’s the only place in America where you can go find your own diamond, and you can’t compare that to a diamond from anywhere else.”
A Hobby Turned Way of Life
Pearadin has been hunting for diamonds at the park since 2013 and later moved to nearby Murfreesboro, Arkansas, just to stay close to the search grounds. “I love it that much,” he told the AP. He has sold most of the diamonds he’s personally found through online sales, and said he plans to split any profits from the American Dream with Schumacher, who helped gather the gravel that contained it. Pearadin said he hopes to eventually use the proceeds to open his own crystal mine.
Part of a Busy Year at the Park
Pearadin’s discovery is one of several notable finds at Crater of Diamonds State Park this year. This summer, park officials announced that a grieving Pennsylvania woman had found a 3.09-carat diamond there just days after burying her father and months after losing her son. Then on Aug. 29, officials said a Tennessee grandfather had discovered a 2.29-carat yellow diamond while searching the same grounds.
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