MURFREESBORO, Ark. – A California woman is the proud new owner of a 4.38-carat yellow diamond after she discovered it at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas.
Noreen Wredberg found the gem on Sept. 23 after about 40 minutes of searching.
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She and her husband were traveling through Arkansas visiting various national parks when they realized they were close to Crater of Diamonds State Park.
“I first saw the park featured on a TV show several years ago. When I realized we weren’t too far away, I knew we had to come,” Wredberg said in a statement to Arkansas State Parks.
It was a cool day, made cooler by standing in the shade, so Wredberg’s husband suggested they venture further out of the shadow of the mine entrance.
Noreen Wredberg found the 4.38-carat yellow diamond sitting on top of the ground within an hour of searching. It’s the...
Posted by Crater of Diamonds State Park on Thursday, September 30, 2021
According to state park officials, Wredberg was walking just north of a central pathway in the search area when she spotted the sparkling gem on top of the ground.
“I didn’t know it was a diamond then, but it was clean and shiny, so I picked it up,” Wredberg said.
“Arkansas is the only state in the country that has a diamond mine open to the public,” said Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism Secretary Stacy Hurst. “It’s such a unique experience and visitors make lifetime memories, whether or not they find a diamond. Of course, finding a diamond adds to the experience.”
Crater of Diamonds State Park has been known for many big diamond finds over the years, including a 7.44-carat brown diamond discovered in March 2017 and a 9.07-carat diamond in Sept. 2020.