A Nebraska man vacationing in Arkansas visited a state park last week and walked away with the largest diamond discovered there this year.
Josh Lanik, a 36-year-old teacher from Hebron, Neb., was vacationing with his family July 24 when they visited Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, according to a news release from the park.
Lanik found the 2.12-carat brown diamond while searching with his children for amethyst on Canary Hill, near the park's southwest edge, park officials said.
Waymon Cox, a park interpreter, described the gem as "about the size of a jellybean," with a dark brown color "similar to brandy."
"It was blatantly obvious there was something different about it," Lanik said in the release. "I saw the shine, and when I picked it up and rolled it in my hand I noticed there weren't any sharp edges."
Before leaving, the family stopped at the Diamond Discovery Center. A park employee weighed the gem and told the teacher the diamond was the largest found so far there in 2019.
Recent record-breaking rainfall probably helped Lanik find the diamond, Cox said. According to the interpreter, roughly 14 inches of rain fell at the park July 16.
"In the days after the rainfall, the park staff registered numerous diamonds found right on the surface of the search area, including two weighing over one carat," he said.
According to the release, a number of visitors name the diamonds they find at the park. Lanik named his the "Lanik Family Diamond" to commemorate the experience.
Lanik said he plans to keep the diamond for now, park officials said.
State Desk on 07/31/2019