Shocking discovery while walking with girlfriend in state park: 'It was so clear. I really didn't know'
Jerry Evans got the shock of his life after visiting Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas.?
He visited the park for the first time earlier this year with his girlfriend, picking up everything on the way they thought could be something interesting.?
Within the first 10-minutes, he had found a clear piece of glass a few metres away on top of a plowed ridge. He pocketed the item with some other finds to take home.?
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But it wasn't until later, when he and his girlfriend had returned home, that he began to think the item may be more than just a piece of glass.
"I thought it might be a piece of glass, it was so clear. I really didn't know."
Eventually, he sent the stone to the Gemological Institute of America for identification and a few weeks later heard back that it was indeed a 4.87 carat near-colourless diamond.?
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"When they called and told me it was real, I was tickled to death," he said.?
Evan's son urged his dad to contact the park about his find, after reading an article about another find from 1990.?
"While I get many emails from people wanting me to identify something they've found here, to my recollection, this is the first time someone has contacted me after they've had a diamond identified by the GIA," said Assistant Park Superintendent Waymon Cox.
"I'm glad that Mr. Evans was able to bring his historic diamond back to the park to have it officially registered."
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Now named the 'Evans Diamond', the stone is the largest find registered with the park since a 9.07-carat brown diamond was discovered in 2020.?
Evans' advice for anyone considering a trip to the park was, "Come and search, because there's a chance. They're out there!"
