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Rare Find: Father and Daughter Find 2-Carat Diamond and Get to Keep It

"It really was the cherry on top of a fun and special trip with my dad"

It was a gem of a trip for a Washington state father and his daughter who hit it big after finding a 2.03-carat white diamond Monday at an Arkansas state park.

The treasure-hunting duo discovered the precious stone at Crater of Diamonds State Park, a destination famous for attracting adventurers scouring for and finding sparklers.

Dan Frederick and his daughter Lauren traversed the forest surface for less than an hour before finding the stone near the Star of Arkansas diamond marker on the north end of the park’s 37.5-acre search area," according to the state park's site.

The best part? They get to keep it.

Frederick and his daughter had never been to the park before. They went on a lark after Googling "places to find gems." And it appears that the first time was the charm.

"My dad and I have always loved to hunt for gems; we've dug for sapphires and garnets and always search for agates when we're on the Washington coast. Naturally, we had always wanted to go to Arkansas to dig for diamonds," Lauren said. "As much as we have talked about the trip and planned it out, I think we're still kind of in shock that we found something as big and beautiful as our 'Lucky Diamond.'"

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Park officials said diamonds are heavy for their size, and when it rains, it washes dirt away, making them more visible. Sometimes park-goers catch a glimpse of sparkler and find a diamond.

"Dan Frederick has proven, once again, that it is possible to find large, beautiful diamonds while surface searching. This is an example of a diamond that all park visitors dream of taking home," said park interpreter Betty Coors.

Lauren has called it one of her best memories with her dad.

"We were so excited with our find that we actually walked around the park for another seven hours with the diamond in my dad's pocket, trying to find another one. It really was the cherry on top of a fun and special trip with my dad," Lauren said.

The Fredericks joined a long list of successful diamond hunters dating back to 1972.

Here's a list of adventurers who found diamonds recently. Each carat equals 100 points.

  • September 18 - Kyle Sisson of Spearville, Kansas found a 3 pt. white diamond.
  • September 19 - Mike Ellison of Kings Mountain, North Carolina found a 9 pt. white diamond.
  • September 21 - Colt Young of Mena, Arizona found an 8 pt. brown diamond.
  • September 25 - T.J. Richardson of Greenwood, Arizona found a 3 pt. yellow diamond.
  • September 26 was a two-fer- Roy King of Alvin, Texas found a 4 pt. white diamond. Connie and Rusty Gray of Lesage, West Virginia found a 4 pt. white diamond.
  • September 27 - Connie and Rusty Gray had another big day, finding a 23 pt. yellow diamond.
  • September 28 - Steve Allender of Vinton, Iowa found a 3 pt. white diamond.
  • October 1 was a big day - Sarah Coleman of Atlanta found a 67 pt. white diamond; Joey Barnett of Crossett, Arizona found a 9 pt. yellow diamond, and Amber McCartney of Cypress, Texas landed a 16 pt. white diamond.
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