Arkansas man’s 13-year hunt leads to major diamond discovery

Jack Pearadin had spent more than a decade searching for diamonds at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park, finding more than 300 gems along the way. But earlier this year, his long-running hobby produced his most remarkable discovery yet. While livestreaming his search on TikTok, Pearadin uncovered a 6.03-carat yellow diamond, roughly the size of a fingernail. Collectors told him the stone could be worth as much as $1 million, although a certified gem appraiser who spoke to The Associated Press said a high-quality six-carat yellow diamond from the park can sell for about $250,000. Pearadin and his friend Michael Schumacher of Wisconsin have named the stone the "American Dream".

Arkansas man’s 13-year hunt leads to major diamond discovery

Pearadin, a Navy reservist originally from Missouri, began searching for diamonds at the Crater of Diamonds in 2013. He told The Associated Press his passion for the hobby led him to move to nearby Murfreesboro. The discovery came on Sunday, 25 January, after Pearadin and Schumacher dug diamond-bearing dirt from the south end of the park's search area in late December and concentrated it into gravel for later processing. A winter storm two days earlier had left more than an inch of ice across the area, making the work harder. Pearadin was processing the gravel on TikTok Live when the stone appeared. After flipping four piles, he was walking away when a golden glint caught his eye. The moment was captured on camera. Pearadin exclaimed, "Oh my God! Oh my God!" before shouting that they had found a big one. Park staff confirmed the stone on 6 February.

6.03-carat yellow diamond gets the name American Dream

The diamond is the largest found at Crater of Diamonds State Park in 2026. According to the park, it is the fourth-largest yellow diamond and the 22nd-largest diamond of any colour registered since the site became a state park in 1972. Its glowing canary-yellow colour and unusual form make it distinctive. It appears to be a hexoctahedron, a 48-sided crystal, whereas most diamonds found at the park have 12 or 24 faces. Pearadin and Schumacher named it the Pearadin Schumacher American Dream Diamond, inspired by the song "Sh-Boom (Life Could Be a Dream)" and by the fact that they found it during America's 250th anniversary year. Pearadin described it as a massive, gorgeous yellow diamond. The discovery also matters because the stone was found by members of the public rather than through a conventional commercial mining operation. The Crater of Diamonds is one of the few places in the world where ordinary visitors can search for diamonds and legally keep what they find.

Collectors believe it could be worth $1 million

The $1 million figure comes from collectors who discussed the stone's potential value with Pearadin. It is not a confirmed sale price or a formal appraisal, and the diamond has no certified grade yet. Certified gem appraiser Laura Stanley of Little Rock told The Associated Press that a high-quality six-carat yellow diamond from the park can sell for about $250,000, partly because of where it was found. For comparison, she said a typical 0.17-carat diamond from the park sells for around $700. The stone's eventual value will depend on its quality, colour, clarity, shape, cutting potential and what buyers are willing to pay for a rare natural diamond with such an unusual history.

A park where visitors can keep their diamonds

Crater of Diamonds State Park is in Murfreesboro, in southwest Arkansas. The site was once operated commercially before becoming a state park in 1972. Unlike most diamond mines, it lets members of the public search its diamond-bearing field and keep what they find. Adult admission is $15, and visitors can bring permitted tools or use equipment available at the park to dig, sift and wash material. The search area covers about 37 acres and is the eroded surface of an ancient volcanic crater. Volcanic activity carried diamond-bearing material towards the surface, leaving diamonds and other minerals in the soil and gravel.

More than 37,000 diamonds have been found there

According to The Associated Press, more than 37,000 diamonds have been discovered at the site since it became a state park. Most weigh about a quarter of a carat, and most are worth far less than Pearadin's stone. Some stones from the site's longer history have become famous. The best known is the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam, found in 1924 during an early mining operation on the land that later became the park. It remains the largest diamond ever found in the US. Other notable stones include the 15.33-carat Star of Arkansas, found in 1956, the 16.37-carat Amarillo Starlight, found in 1975, and the 8.52-carat Esperanza, found in 2015.

Uncle Sam diamond now displayed at Smithsonian

The Uncle Sam crystal was cut and polished into a 12.42-carat diamond and gifted to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. It is on view in the museum's "Great American Diamonds" exhibit. Its history shows how much a rough diamond's weight and appearance can change during cutting. According to Nathan Renfro of the Gemological Institute of America, natural diamonds often lose about a quarter of their weight as they are cut and polished.

Pearadin plans to split any profits

Pearadin plans to share any proceeds from the American Dream with Schumacher, who helped dig the gravel that produced the stone. The two friends have searched together at the park and found many diamonds over the years. The find has also given Pearadin a new goal: he hopes to use the proceeds to open his own crystal mine. For now, the American Dream is the biggest diamond he has found in more than a decade of searching. What began as another session of processing gravel for a TikTok audience produced a 6.03-carat natural yellow diamond, with its final market value still to be determined.