Bobbie Oskarson is one lucky woman who, after only 20 minutes of searching, found a sparkling 8.52 carat white diamond that measures around three quarters of an inch long. The diamond was reportedly unearthed at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas.
According to park officials, the discovered diamond is so far the fifth largest diamond found by a visitor since 1972 when the park was first established.
Oskarson, who hails from Longmont, Colorado, said that she found the diamond while she was digging around the Pig Pen. The area is said to be 37 acres big and is noted for getting a little muddy after rainfall, which explains why it bears such name. For now, Oskarson plans to keep the diamond in her possession.
There is no information on the diamond's potential monetary value as the park did not provide even a rough estimate.
Oskarson said that she's naming her "shining" discovery "Esperanza Diamond," following the name of her niece. Incidentally, the name is also the Spanish word for "hope."
In the beginning, Oskarson thought that what she had found was a quartz crystal and not a diamond because of the former's size and shape. Later on, a park staff confirmed that Oskarson had indeed found a diamond.
"Ms. Oskarson and her boyfriend Travis Dillon saw the Crater of Diamonds State Park on an Arkansas highway map while in the nearby town of Hot Springs and decided to visit the park," said Waymon Cox, an interpreter at the park, in a press release.
The park's so-called search area allows visitors to hunt for gems. It is currently the only diamond-producing location in the world which is open to the public. It adheres to the policy, perhaps the most encouraging policy ever, called "finders keepers."
The park has a record of 227 registered diamonds this year.
1924 was the year when the largest diamond was discovered at the park. According to the park's website, the huge gem had 40.23 carats. Due to its massive weight, the diamond was also touted as the largest diamond found in the U.S. It is more popularly known as "Uncle Sam Diamond."
