Big gem find! 7-year-old girl discovers 2.95-carat diamond in Arkansas on her birthday

A 7-year-old girl discovers a 2.95-carat golden brown diamond in Arkansas on her birthday, one of the largest registered by a park guest this year.

A 7-year-old girl had an unforgettable birthday celebration when she stumbled upon a 2.95-carat golden brown diamond in Arkansas on September 1. Aspen Brown, along with her family, was enjoying her seventh birthday at a state park when she made the remarkable discovery of the precious gem, which was about the size of a green pea.

The park reported in a news release that this young girl's find "is the second-largest registered by a park guest this year, topped only by a 3.29-carat brown diamond discovery in March."

The release described the circumstances: "Brown was visiting the park with her dad and grandmother to celebrate her birthday. Brown picked up a gem about the size of a green pea from a pathway along the northeast side of the search area."

Park officials have confirmed that Aspen Brown indeed found a genuine diamond.

Waymon Cox, assistant park superintendent, remarked, "Aspen's diamond has a golden-brown color and a sparkling lustre. It is a complete crystal, with no broken facets and a small crevice on one side, created when the diamond was formed. It's certainly one of the most beautiful diamonds I've seen in recent years."

The park shared that on average, one or two visitors discover diamonds at the park every day. Since a farmer first identified diamonds on the land, over 75,000 diamonds have been found at the site.

As for historical significance, the park noted that the largest diamond ever discovered in the United States was unearthed in 1924 during an early mining operation on the land that eventually became this state park.