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This post was originally published on this site.
A Texas man unearthed an unexpected treasure during afamily tripthis winter — all thanks to his sons and his wife’s Siri search.
Arkansas State Parks recently shared news about the find, which was made at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Pike County.Forty-one-year-old James Ward unearthed the 2.09-carat brown diamond on Dec.30.
Ward, who lives in Cypress, Texas, was visiting the park with his wife, Elizabeth, andtheir two young sons, Adrian, 9, and Austin, 7.
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Visiting the park was the 7-year-old’s idea, according to Elizabeth Ward.
“One day we were watching TV, and Austin came and said, ‘Mommy, Mommy, is there any place in Texas or nearby that we canmine for crystals?’” the mother recalled.
James Ward of Cypress, Texas, found the diamond while visiting the Arkansas park with his wife and two young sons.(Arkansas State Parks)
She quickly searched with Siri and found information onCrater of Diamonds State Park.
“I sent the link to James, and he’s like, ‘Oh wait, that’s only like six hours away.We can go!’” added Elizabeth Ward.
“Listen to your kids about their dreams and what they want to do!”
The gem, named the Ward Diamond, was found on the family’s second day of searching.
The first day was long and cold, but 9-year-old Adrian encouraged the family to come back the next day — when the gem was found.
Park officials described the Ward Diamond as having a dark yellowish-brown hue and metallic luster.(Arkansas State Parks)
He added that crater diamonds formed inEarth’s upper mantle— and “were carried to the surface by an ancient volcanic pipe” millions of years ago.
“Most are chipped, broken or include flaws from the immense geological forces they endured,” Cox said.
The diamond emerged on the second day after cold weather cut short the family’s first attempt.(Arkansas State Parks)
“I’ll have to see how much it’s worth first,” he said.
Ward also encouraged fellow park visitors not to give up on their first day of digging.
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“Listen to your kids about their dreams and what they want to do!” his wife added.
�are not trained to grade or appraise diamonds or other rocks and minerals.”
“I’ll have to see how much it’s worth,” said Ward about his rare find.(Arkansas State Parks)
“Our primary training involves properly identifying and registering diamonds for guests who find them,” the official said.
“Anyone interested in having their diamonds graded or appraised can reach out to a certified gemologist, who has had special training to properly gradegemstone qualityand estimate value.”
Ward’s discovery adds to a growing list of substantial gems found by visitors at Crater of Diamonds State Park.
onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.
An Oklahoma family unearthed a 2.79-carat diamond atCrater of Diamonds State Parkback in September, thanks to tools they bought at a dollar store.
In April, a Minnesota resident unearthed a stunning 3.81-caratbrown diamondat the park — a find that he compared to a candy wrapper.
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