PHOTO — ‘A Magical Place’: Frenchman Discovers 7.46-Carat Diamond at Arkansas Park

A man from Paris, France, enjoying America’s greatness, stumbled upon something incredible in Arkansas on January 11.

During his first trip to the state’s Crater of Diamonds State Park, Julien Navas discovered a 7.46-carat diamond in its search area, Arkansas State Parks announced in a news release.

“It is a magical place where the dream of finding a diamond can come true! It was a real great adventure,” Navas said of the epic find that has so many people delighted and fascinated.

An image shows him smiling as he holds the gem between his fingers:

Per the state park’s announcement, Navas was visiting America to witness the United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur Rocket launch in Cape Canaveral, Florida. He later decided to stop by New Orleans, Louisiana, and while there, he found out about the special state park.

His past experiences panning for gold and searching for ammonite fossils made it seem like a great idea. When he arrived, the area had just experienced some rainfall, so the ground was muddy. However, that did not stop Navas from using his diamond hunting kit to dig up some treasure.

According to Assistant Park Superintendent Waymon Cox, the rain washes dirt from the ground’s surface and sometimes reveals rocks, minerals, and diamonds.

After several hours of work, Navas took what he found on the surface to the Diamond Discovery Center and was told he had picked up a brown diamond.

“I am so happy! All I can think about is telling my fiancée what I found,” he said, adding he plans to bring his daughter to enjoy the park someday in the future. In addition, he named his find the Carine Diamond to honor his fiancée.

In December, a man discovered a five-carat diamond while hiking at the park, KPRC reported, adding he at first thought it was a piece of glass:

A similar instance happened in November 2022 when a couple enjoying a road trip for their tenth anniversary found a brown diamond weighing nearly two carats at the park, according to Breitbart News.