While exploring Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park on April 21, David DeCook of Minnesota made a once-in-a-lifetime discovery—a stunning, 3.81-carat brown diamond glittering on the surface of the search area.

The discovery is the biggest diamond find reported at the park so far this year, according to Arkansas State Parks. DeCook, an amateur rock collector and farmer, was visiting the park with his family when the gem caught his eye.

In a press release, officials shared that DeCook calmly walked over to the diamond, picked it up, and called out to his brother, teasing, “Oh, you’re going to be mad once you see what I found!”

DeCook later returned to the park to officially register the gem, which he named the “Duke Diamond” in honor of his dog. Speaking to FOX 9 Minneapolis, he described the diamond’s unusual appearance, saying it “kind of looks like a candy wrapper. Real shiny looking, kind of like a Werther’s candy wrapper… As you get closer to it, you can tell it’s a diamond pretty quick.”

His reaction? Total disbelief. “I was very surprised, I guess, and never thought I’d find one that big,” DeCook said. “You just never know what you’re gonna find. It’s a chance of a lifetime.”

Crater of Diamonds State Park, located in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, is the only diamond-bearing site in the world where the public can search for real diamonds and keep what they find. The park is known for producing many notable finds, especially after rainfall.

Waymon Cox, the assistant park superintendent, noted that April brought over 12 inches of rain, helping expose heavy minerals and gems near the surface. “Many of the park’s largest diamonds are found on top of the ground,” Cox explained. “As rain falls in the search area, it washes away the dirt and uncovers heavy rocks, minerals and diamonds near the surface.”

Rain, it turns out, may be a diamond hunter’s best friend.

DeCook’s remarkable find is the largest since January 2024, when a French visitor uncovered a 7.46-carat gem and named it after his fiancée.

As for DeCook, he’s not just leaving with a priceless souvenir—he’s taking home a family memory and a story to last a lifetime. Whether he plans to sell the gem or keep it as a keepsake remains to be seen, but for now, he’s just enjoying the moment.

“It was the perfect day,” DeCook said. “And the perfect place to find something this special.”

The discovery has reignited interest in the Crater of Diamonds site, which attracts thousands of hopeful treasure hunters every year. And with more rain in the forecast, there’s no telling what could be unearthed next.