Man Finds 2-Carat Stone at Crater of Diamonds State Park
February 11, 15
(IDEX Online News) – Dean Filppula, an offshore steward, recently found a 2.01-carat stone at Crater of Diamonds State Park. The wedge-shaped pea-sized diamond is the largest found at the national park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas so far this year.
Filppula, who plans to sell the diamond, named it the Merf Diamond in honor of his mother's initials.
"More than half an inch of rain had fallen two days before his visit, washing loose soil from the surface of the diamond search area, and, no doubt, uncovering the large, yellow gem," said park interpreter Waymon Cox. "Anyone could have found it, but Mr. Filppula was in the right place at the right time."
In 1924, the largest diamond ever found in America, the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam was unearthed in the area.
In 2014, 585 diamonds were found with a total weight of 121.02 carats. Since the area was designated a national park in 1972, more than 31,000 diamonds, with a combined weight approaching 6,300 have been unearthed.