California woman finds 4.38-carat yellow diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) – A California woman found a 4.38-carat yellow diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park, according to a release from the park.

Noreen Wredberg, of Granite Bay, California, said she found the diamond sitting on top of the ground within an hour of searching.

Wredberg said that she and her husband, Michael, arrived at the Arkansas state park on Thursday. She said she started to search in a shaded area near the mine entrance, but her husband suggested they venture farther out.

His suggestion paid off, because about 40 minutes later as she was walking just north of a central pathway in the search area, 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," Noreen said.

She gave the stone to her husband, who brought it to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center for identification. After examining the stone, park staff informed Michael that he was in possession of a very large yellow diamond.

“When I first saw this diamond under the microscope, I thought, ‘Wow, what a beautiful shape and color!’" Park Superintendent Caleb Howell said. "Mrs. Wredberg’s diamond weighs more than four carats and is about the size of a jellybean, with a pear shape and a lemonade yellow color.”

Park Interpreter Waymon Cox says that many of the park’s largest diamonds are found right on top of the ground.

“We plow the search area periodically to loosen the soil and promote natural erosion," Cox said. "Diamonds are somewhat heavy for their size and lack static electricity, so dirt doesn’t stick to them. When rain uncovers a larger diamond and the sun comes out, its reflective surface is often easy to see.”

Weighing 4.38 carats, park officials said Noreen’s diamond is the largest found at the park since last October.

Finders of large Crater diamonds often choose to name their gems. Noreen named hers Lucy’s Diamond, for her husband’s kitten. She said she isn’t sure what she will do with her diamond but says she might have it cut, depending on the quality.