Woman Finds 3-Carat Diamond at Arkansas Park Days After Father's Burial

Keshia Smith, a Pennsylvania resident, found a 3.09-carat diamond at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park in Pike County last month.

Officials described the gem as colorless with a flat, smooth appearance and about the size of a bead. It had a few unique inclusions around the edges.

Smith had planned the April trip more than a year ago. She lost her son in October and buried her father just days before the visit. She hoped the outing would bring some comfort.

She made the trip with her boyfriend Joey and her brother Kirim. They arrived at the park on Tuesday, April 21.

On her second day, Smith moved to the south end of the search area after talking with other visitors. She began digging and noticed the soil change from brown to black. After a few more scoops, she spotted something shiny in her shovel.

At first she was unsure, so she put the stone in her bag and kept digging. Later she took her finds to the park's wash pavilion to sift through them.

While showing the crystal to others, one visitor urged her to have it checked. Smith was overcome with joy and began crying, laughing and hugging people nearby.

"I really prayed for this, and I just can't believe it actually happened," she said.

She said the diamond's shape reminded her of a heart, the first thing she noticed when she found it. She told officials she had been under a lot of pressure in recent months.

"In October I lost my son, and we just buried my dad a week ago. I really needed this," she said.

Over the past decade, only 15 diamonds weighing 3 carats or more have been found at the park, said Superintendent Caleb Howell.

Howell said park staff do not appraise diamonds because they are not trained gemologists. He noted that the stones are natural and uncut, which makes them different from jewelry-store diamonds.

"Our diamonds are like snowflakes," Howell said. "Of all the ones I have seen, they are unique in clarity, color and carat."

He added that the experience of digging adds sentimental value. While most visitors do not find a diamond, they can leave with memories of searching for the stones, he said.