Two regular visitors to Crater of Diamonds State Park spotted their largest find, a 1.73-carat gem, at the site Sunday.
Jack Pearadin of Murfreesboro and Doug Nelsen of Winneconne, Wis., have made a habit of scouring the park for gems over the past several years, park interpreter Betty Coors said in a news release. They have located more than three dozen diamonds combined.
Pearadin was washing gravel when he spotted the 1.73-carat diamond. He poked Nelsen on the shoulder and told him he "needed to look at this,” Coors said. The pair put the pea-sized gemstone in a water bottle and showed it to park staff members to have it verified.
The gem is white with a brownish tint, and it is Pearadin's 36th and Nelson’s fifth find at the park, the release said. There have been 484 diamonds discovered so far this year, surpassing last year’s total of 467.