After six days of scouring the surf at Egmont Key on Florida's Gulf Coast, a brokenhearted Isliany Rawshdeh was nearly ready to give up her quest to find her cherished engagement ring — an irreplaceable custom keepsake that was lost on Memorial Day.
But, instead of throwing in the towel, the St. Petersburg, FL, resident acted on a tip and reached out to the West State Archeological Society, a Tampa-based club comprising amateur treasure hunters dedicated to preserving Florida history. Utilizing their keen skills and advanced equipment, the team was able to rescue the young woman's ring.
Rawshdeh couldn't have imagined that a joyful Memorial Day romp at the beach would be quickly turning into a nightmare. She had been playing volleyball in about five feet of water when her engagement ring went flying off her hand.
“I was like ‘Oh my God, no! I can’t believe this is happening.’ I told everyone not to move. ‘Please don’t move. We are going to find it,'” Rawshdeh told Tampa-based CW44.
Nearby beachgoers assisted in the search, but their efforts were in vain.
“People were snorkeling. We even got someone with a metal detector right quick and we couldn’t’ find anything,” she said.
Rawshdeh's determination to find the ring was motivated by what the one-of-a-kind ring symbolized to her and her family. It was custom made by her husband and his design included many special elements.
“Like everything has a meaning in the ring, so we were really devastated,” said Rawshdeh.
Jim Thobe, the president of the West State Archeological Society, acknowledged to CW44 that finding an engagement ring was a unique challenge for his group. They most often search for historical artifacts and coins.
Thobe assembled his members and they worked as a team to find Rawshdeh's ring. After a few hours on the scene, metal detectorist Mike picked up a signal and dug the ring out of the sandy bottom.
Mike gave the ring to Rawshdeh's husband, who saw this as a great opportunity for a surprise second proposal.
Rawshdeh explained how it went down… “He sat next to me and he kissed me and he says, ‘Sometimes life just smiles at you,' and put the ring on my finger again."
Framed by an oversized graphic of New York City's iconic Chrysler Building, auctioneer Rahul Kadakia slammed his hammer down to close out the bidding on the top lot at Christie's Magnificent Jewels event on Tuesday. It was 1:25 in the afternoon, and the 54.03-carat "Chrysler Diamond" — Lot 136 — had just fetched $5.07 million, narrowly edging out the 204.36-carat "Dancing Sun" diamond, which earned $4.95 million 90 minutes earlier in the session.
Based on Christie's choice of background graphics, the New York auction house clearly anticipated that the Chrysler Diamond would be the star of the high-profile event. The internally flawless diamond had been owned by Thelma Chrysler, the daughter of industrialist Walter Chrysler, who self-financed the 1,046-foot-tall Chrysler Building, an Art Deco marvel that was, for a short time in 1930, the tallest building in the world.
As the heir to the Chrysler fortune, Thelma became a prominent figure in New York high society. Her wardrobe was so spectacular that much of it was bequeathed to the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art before her death in 1957.
Among Thelma's prized possessions was the pear-shaped Chrysler Diamond, which was then known as the Louis XIV diamond and weighed 62 carats. Later, under the direction of luxury jeweler Harry Winston, the Chrysler Diamond was recut to achieve the highest potential color and clarity of D-flawless. At 58.6 carats, the newly trimmed stone was mounted as the centerpiece of a tiara, which included six pear-shaped diamonds totaling 22 carats and 233 smaller diamonds weighing 120 carats.
Christie's reported that the opulent headpiece was exhibited in 1962 at the Louvre in Paris as part of the museum’s "Ten Centuries of French Jewels" exhibition.
Just a year later, the Chrysler Diamond was removed from the headpiece and paired with a second diamond weighing 61.08 carats. The pair of diamonds — now called "The Geminis" — were made into matching earrings and sold to Canadian socialite Eleanor Loder. During this time, the original Chrysler Diamond was recut to its current size of 54.03 carats.
In 1983, the earrings were acquired by a private collector, who chose to separate the Geminis and, instead, highlight the Chrysler Diamond as the centerpiece of a regal necklace adorned with 43 brilliant-cut, pear-shaped diamonds.
Bidding on the Chrysler Diamond started at $2.6 million and edged up in increments of $200,000, finally topping out at $4.2 million. With the Buyer's Premium, the final price was $5.07 million.
Two hours earlier, bidding on Lot 68, The Dancing Sun, also started at $2.6 million. Bidding accelerated in increments of $200,000, then $100,000 and then $50,000 until the price settled at $4.1 million. With the Buyer's Premium, the final price was $4.95 million.
The Fancy Intense Yellow, cushion modified brilliant-cut, VVS2-clarity gem had been cut from a rough stone called "552," a name that was a nod to its enormous 552.74-carat size. The gem had been unearthed at the Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada's Northwest Territories and has the distinction of being the largest rough diamond ever discovered in North America.
The winner bidders for the Chrysler Diamond and The Dancing Sun were not immediately revealed.
Credits: Screen capture via christies.com; Images courtesy of Christie's.
Classified as “exceptional” for both its color and clarity, a 39.34-carat blue diamond recently recovered at the celebrated Cullinan mine in South Africa is likely to yield upwards of $1 million per carat when it is sold by Petra Diamonds via special tender on July 12.
What happens to the rough stone after it is transformed into a polished diamond could be historic. Here's why…
Back in January of 2014, a blue 29.6-carat rough from the same mine was purchased by luxury jeweler Cora International for $25.6 million. Cora transformed the large rough gem into a 12.03-carat internally flawless cushion-cut blue masterpiece that would be named The Blue Moon of Josephine.
That polished stone rated “fancy vivid” blue in color and “internally flawless” in clarity. It was eventually sold at a 2015 Sotheby’s auction for $48.5 million, or more than $4 million per carat — the world record price per carat ever paid for a diamond.
The Blue Moon of Josephine lost about 59% of its mass during the cutting process. If the same holds true for Petra's 39.34-carat blue diamond, the result would be a head-turning, 16-plus-carat gem. At $4 million per carat, the polished stone would be worth $64 million.
Petra will be showcasing the Type IIb rough stone in Antwerp, Dubai, Hong Kong and New York from mid-June to early July. Bidding will close on Monday, July 12.
Located at the foothills of the Magaliesberg mountain range, 37 kilometers northeast of Pretoria in South Africa, the Cullinan Mine is arguably the world’s most heralded diamond mine.
The 119-year-old Cullinan Mine (originally known as the Premier Mine) is credited with producing seven of the world’s largest 50 rough diamonds based on carat weight. These include the Cullinan Heritage (#30, 507 carats, 2009), Centenary (#25, 599 carats, 1986), The Golden Jubilee (#13, 755 carats, 1985) and the granddaddy of them all — the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond (#1).
Discovered in 1905, the Cullinan Diamond was segmented into nine major finished stones, each of which was given the name Cullinan and a Roman numeral. Two of the gems are part of the the British Crown Jewels — the Great Star of Africa (Cullinan I) at 530.4 carats and the Second Star of Africa (Cullinan II) at 317.4 carats.
Not only is the Cullinan Mine still producing world-class white diamonds, it is also the world’s most important source of blue diamonds.
Diamonds get their natural blue color from small amounts of the chemical element boron trapped in the crystal carbon structure during its formation.
Scientists believe blue diamonds are amongst the deepest-formed diamonds ever found, created at depths in excess of 500km (310 miles) below the Earth’s surface.
Borrowing an idea from college football's Miami Hurricanes, the San Diego Padres recently unveiled the "Swagg Chain," a 10-inch tall, two-inch thick pendant emblazoned with 8,000 yellow and brown semi-precious stones. A player gets to wear the pendant if he hits a home run or is chosen as the Player of the Game. The piece features a spinning "SD" logo.
Made from 3,500 grams (7.7 pounds) of gold-plated sterling silver, the "Swagg Chain" resulted from a collaboration between Padres third baseman Manny Machado and New York-based luxury jeweler Gabriel Jacobs, who owns Rafaello & Co.
Jacobs pitched the idea to his long-time friend Machado during spring training in Arizona.
The jeweler told Fox 5 San Diego that he wanted to bring some swag to Major League Baseball.
"It's the oldest pastime sport in America," he said. "We wanted to give it a little flair, a bit of excitement, you know?"
Jacobs said that he and Machado traded design ideas, sending pictures back and forth. It was Machado's idea to include the spinning "SD" feature.
Back in 2017, the University of Miami football team introduced the "Turnover Chain," a massive, gem-encrusted pendant that was awarded to a defender who made an interception or fumble recovery. The chain featured a diamond-encrusted “U” hanging from a Cuban link chain. Shaped like the state of Florida, the 2020 edition of the chain was dotted with 4,000 orange, green and white sapphires set in 10-karat yellow gold.
In late May, slugger Fernando Tatis wore the "Swagg Chain" after the Padres' 9-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners, a game that included two Tatis dingers.
“Oh man, it’s amazing. We played good, and we deserve to look good,” Tatis said of the new bling. “It’s team bonding. We’re pushing for each other and we’re just having fun so far.”
Despite being pressed by a Fox 5 reporter, Jacobs would not reveal the value of the "Swagg Chain."
Credits: Screen captures via Youtube.com; Instagram.com/rafaelloandco.
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today we feature the incomparable Wilson sisters — also known as Heart — performing “There’s the Girl,” a song about a "diamond" of a guy who keeps returning to a toxic relationship.
The first lines of “There’s the Girl” go like this: “You’re a polished diamond / Now you’re feeling kinda rough / Yes I know how long you been searching / for the perfect touch.”
Co-writers Nancy Wilson and Holly Knight use diamond metaphors to describe a guy who can’t get over an old flame even though she’s a “complete disaster.” He’s a polished diamond (a great guy), and the prospect of reconnecting with his ex-girlfriend has his heart beating faster. But Wilson knows this situation is not going to end well.
At the Albany, NY, Palace Theater in 2015, Wilson explained why she wrote the song for her best friend back in the 1980s.
"My guy friend fell in love with a terribly wrong girl," she told the audience. "And when you're best friends you can't really make the mistake for them. You just have to stand by and watch it happen."
“There’s the Girl” is special to Heart fans because the lead vocals are performed by guitarist Nancy Wilson, not Ann, whose towering voice has been a hallmark of the band since it was established in Seattle, WA, in 1967. In fact, many fans never realized Nancy sang the lead vocals for this song until they saw the music video or were lucky enough to attend a Heart performance.
“There’s the Girl” is the third track from Heart’s ninth studio album, Bad Animals. In 1987, it climbed as high as #12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart — one of 20 Top-40 singles credited to the band. Over their illustrious careers, the Wilson sisters have sold more than 35 million records worldwide. They scored seven Top-10 albums and earned four Grammy nominations. Heart was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
The sisters revealed in an interview that they were both inspired to form a rock band when they saw the Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.
“The lightning bolt came out of the heavens and struck Ann and me the first time we saw the Beatles,” Nancy Wilson told Maura Kelly of Believer Magazine in 2007. “There’d been so much anticipation and hype about the Beatles that it was a huge event, like the lunar landing. That was the moment Ann and I heard the call to become rock musicians.”
We know you will enjoy the official video of “There’s the Girl.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“There’s the Girl”
Written by Holly Knight and Nancy Wilson. Performed by Heart.
You’re a polished diamond
Now you’re feeling kinda rough
Yes I know how long you been searching
for the perfect touch
You better hear what I say
I can tell your eyes are just about to
give you away
Cause there’s the girl
that you were after
Feel your heart beating faster now
There’s the girl that you were after
Can you say that you don’t
want her anymore
Just take my word now
Cause you know it’s true
she ain’t good enough
for the likes of you
You better hear what I say
I can tell your eyes are just about
to give you away
Cause there’s the girl
that you were after
Feel your heart beating faster now
There’s the girl that you were after
And all the time you can’t get past her
There’s the girl that you were after
Broken glass, complete disaster
There’s the girl that you were after
Can you say that you don’t
want her anymore
I believed you once
When you explained
That it wasn’t so tough
To forget her name
Cause there’s the girl
that you were after
Feel your heart beating faster now
There’s the girl that you were after
And all the time you can’t get past her
There’s the girl that you were after
Broken glass, complete disaster
There’s the girl that you were after
Can you say that you don’t
want her anymore
There’s the girl
There’s the girl
There’s the girl
There’s the girl
We were there when the largest rough diamond ever mined in North America — the “552” — made its final public appearance at Phillips auction house in New York City in February of 2019. Next Tuesday, the 204-carat Fancy Intense Yellow diamond cut from that 552-carat rough will be auctioned at Christie's New York. It carries a pre-sale high estimate of $5.5 million.
At first glance, the “552” was unlike any diamond we've ever seen. It exhibited a frosty surface and distinctive bi-color transition from intense yellow to nearly white. The egg-sized gem seemed surreal in its glass case at the street-level exhibit hall of the auction house on Park Avenue and 57th. Giant vertical banners in the Phillips windows delivered a bold and simple message, “Think Big — 552 Carats.”
The spectacular diamond had been unearthed at the Diavik mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories back in October of 2018, and Phillips’ executives pitched Dominion Diamond Mines with the idea of putting the diamond on display in The Big Apple before it went through the cutting process.
Dominion Diamond Mines Director of Marketing Rachel Aaron told us that there were two likely outcomes for the “552.” In scenario one, the rough diamond would yield a primary faceted stone of 150 to 200 carats, as well as a number of satellite faceted diamonds. In scenario two, cutters would opt for a pair of primary diamonds in the 70- to-100-carat range, plus the satellite stones. The pair of smaller diamonds, she said, would be more wearable.
On June 8, just a few blocks from the Phillips auction house, the faceted version of the “552” will hit the auction block at Christie's headquarters in Rockefeller Center.
It turns out that Dominion opted for scenario one. The primary faceted stone is called “The Dancing Sun.” The cushion modified brilliant-cut gem boasts a clarity grade of VVS2, as well as excellent polish and symmetry. Christie's is estimating that the gem will fetch between $3.5 million and $5.5 million.
The gem’s yellow color was an anomaly at the Diavik mine. Diamonds from the mine typically rate in the D, E and F color range (colorless to near colorless).
Christie's is also offering six satellite diamonds that were cut from the “552.” Set in platinum rings, the pear brilliant-cut diamonds range in size from 1.06 carats to 14.53 carats and seemed to have been cut from the white portion of the large rough stone. The largest of the satellite stones has a color range of Y to Z and carries a high estimate of $150,000. The others range from J to V, with high estimates starting at $3,000 and going up to $70,000.
Credits: Phillips exhibition images by The Jeweler Blog. Images of "The Dancing Sun" courtesy of Christie's. Screen capture of the satellite diamonds via christies.com.
Back in April 1840, the ship Sultanee arrived in New York Harbor loaded with exotic gifts for President Martin Van Buren. The valuable offerings included two magnificent Arabian horses, a case of rose oil, five demijohns of rose water, four Cashmere shawls, ivory, wild animal skins, Arabian dates, a bale of Persian rugs, a gold-mounted sword and a long string of 148 natural pearls sourced in the Persian Gulf.
The US had recently signed a Treaty of Friendship and Commerce with the Sultanate of Oman, and the Imam of Muscat's generosity was a way for him to curry favor with Van Buren. Oman had always been fiercely independent and feared the encroaching British Empire.
When the lavish gifts had arrived in the US, the Congress debated whether or not Van Buren could accept them at all. The Constitution generally forbids it, so the eventual compromise was that he could accept them — not as a private citizen, but in his official government role.
The cache of natural pearls was fashioned into a luxurious necklace and worn by Van Buren's 22-year-old daughter-in-law, Sarah Angelica Van Buren, who was had been the acting First Lady because the president's wife had passed away in 1819 and he never remarried.
When the incumbent lost his bid for a second term in late 1840, he deposited the pearl necklace at the National Institute Gallery in the US Patent Office.
According to the Smithsonian, about a year later, on December 20, 1841, a thief broke into the “treasure room” at the National Institute Gallery and stole, among other things, the necklace made from the pearls given by the Imam.
The necklace was recovered, but eventually the Patent Commissioner sealed all the valuables in a metal box and deposited it in the U.S. Treasury.
The items were finally transferred to the Smithsonian in the 1880s. Even then, a thief armed with a Bowie knife and chloroform made a failed attempt to overcome a Smithsonian watchman to steal the valuables.
Today, the necklace is part of the historic First Ladies Collection at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. With more than 1,000 objects, the collection documents the lives and contributions of America’s first ladies (and acting first ladies).
In her official portrait, Sarah Angelica Van Buren is wearing pearls around her neck and on her head. The pearls in the portrait don't appear to match the ones gifted by the Imam.
Natural pearls are among the rarest of all gems. In fact, experts believe the odds of opening a random oyster in the wild and finding a natural saltwater pearl is 1 in 100,000. What’s more, if someone was lucky enough to amass a small collection of natural pearls, there’s hardly a chance that they’d match in terms of size, shape, color and luster. This is why the round and near-round pearls gifted by the Imam more than 180 years ago are so special.
June’s official gemstone — the pearl — is unique among all gem types because it is the only one formed entirely within a living creature. Natural pearls occur when an irritant enters the oyster’s shell. To protect itself from the foreign body, the mollusk secretes layers of nacre, which, over time, become a lustrous pearl. To form a cultured pearl, a shell bead is surgically implanted into the mollusk to induce nacre production.
Credits: Natural pearls by NMNH Photo Services. Portrait of Angelica Van Buren by Henry Inman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
“The Sienna Star,” a 73.11-carat fancy vivid yellow diamond, is being promoted as the top lot at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale in New York City on June 9.
Characterized by the Gemological Institute of America as “a standout item in the extraordinary world of gemstones,” the cut-cornered square, step-cut diamond boasts a VS2 clarity rating and the highest GIA color grading for a yellow diamond.
Sotheby's noted that "The Sienna Star" is one of the largest fancy vivid yellow diamonds ever to be auctioned and is likely to sell for $3 million or more.
The large yellow diamond is at the center of an 18-karat white gold ring intricately set with pavé diamonds and a flexible shank. The total weight of the accent diamonds is 4.45 carats.
Sotheby's commented that the ring and central diamond complement each other perfectly, creating a piece of truly wearable art.
The piece was designed by London-based master jeweler Glenn Shapiro, an East Londoner, who grew up in a working-class family and left school at 15 to become a goldsmith’s apprentice at English Artworks, Cartier’s workshop in London.
After designing for other houses for nearly 25 years, Spiro established his own house, G, in 2014, on Mayfair’s Bruton Street. According to Sotheby's, Shapiro quickly earned the reputation of being an artist whose designs are at once contemporary and timeless, and always set with exceptional stones.
Another highlight of the New York auction is a magnificent 15-inch necklace by Andrew Clunn. Set with 28 oval-shaped diamonds totaling more than 168 carats, the piece carries a high estimate of $3 million. The graduated diamonds range from 3.00 to 17.01 carats in weight, E to H in color and VS2 to Flawless in clarity.
Also scheduled to hit the auction block is a Bulgari-designed ring set with a 25.29-carat Kashmir sapphire flanked by tapered, bullet-shaped diamonds. The auction house is predicting that it will sell for about $3 million.
Sotheby's noted that all the pieces sold on June 9 will be worn during "The Roaring Twenties 2.0," a period that reflects a return to normalcy after more than a year of COVID-19 disruptions.
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you chart-topping songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we have Kenny Chesney singing the #1 country music single of 2002, “The Good Stuff.”
In the song, a young man learns some critical life lessons from a middle-aged barkeep who recently lost his wife to cancer. The younger man heads to the bar after having a major disagreement with his new wife, and orders “the good stuff.” But instead of serving whiskey or beer, the bartender pours two glasses of milk and shares his views about the things in life that are really “the good stuff.”
Among these items is an engagement ring that a nervous suitor accidentally dropped into a plate of spaghetti and a cherished pearl necklace that marked a special occasion.
The sing-along chorus contains these memorable lines… “’Cause it’s the first long kiss on a second date / Momma’s all worried when you get home late / And droppin’ the ring in the spaghetti plate / ‘Cause you’re hands are shakin’ so much.”
Later in the song, Chesney sings, “Was the sight of her holdin’ my baby girl / The way she adored that string of pearls / I gave her the day that our youngest boy Earl / Married his high school love.”
Written by Nashville hitmakers Jim Collins and Craig Wiseman, “The Good Stuff” was the second single from Chesney’s album No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems.
The song zoomed to #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and had cross-over success, topping out at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “The Good Stuff” would go on to become the #1 country music single of 2002, according to Billboard.
Wiseman told The Boot that “The Good Stuff” was loosely based on the heartbreaking story of a dear friend, Rusty Martin, who lost his wife to cancer.
“I actually played Rusty the song,” Wiseman said. “I told him the song was inspired by him in some ways so I wanted to make sure he was OK with it.”
Wiseman continued: “I had gotten in touch with the funeral home where he had buried his wife and had a matching foot stone made for her that was engraved with ‘The Good Stuff.’ I went and gave it to him at the No. 1 party. Everybody was crying.”
Born in Knoxville, Tenn., in 1968, Chesney has recorded 32 Top-10 singles on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts and has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.
We hope you enjoy the video of Chesney's live performance of “The Good Stuff.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“The Good Stuff”
Written by Craig Michael Wiseman and Jim Collins. Performed by Kenny Chesney.
Well, me and my lady had our first big fight
So I drove around till I saw the neon light
The corner bar. It just seemed right so I pulled up.
Not a soul around but the old bar keep
Down at the end lookin’ half asleep
But he walked up and said, “What’ll it be?”
I said, “The good stuff.”
He didn’t reach around for the whiskey.
He didn’t pour me a beer.
His blue eyes kinda went misty.
He said, "You can’t find that here."
‘Cause it’s the first long kiss on a second date.
Momma’s all worried when you get home late
And droppin’ the ring in the spaghetti plate
‘Cause you’re hands are shakin’ so much
And it’s the way that she looks with the rice in her hair.
Eatin’ burnt suppers the whole first year
And askin’ for seconds to keep her from tearin’ up
Yeah man, that’s the good stuff.
He grabbed a carton of milk and he poured a glass.
And I smiled and said, "I’ll have some of that."
We sat there and talked as an hour passed like old friends.
I saw a black-and-white picture and it caught my stare.
It was a pretty girl with bouffant hair
He said, "That’s my Bonnie, taken ’bout a year after we wed."
He said, "I spent five years in the bar when the cancer took her from me.
But I’ve been sober three years now
‘Cause the one thing’s stronger than the whiskey.
Was the sight of her holdin’ my baby girl
The way she adored that string of pearls
I gave her the day that our youngest boy Earl
Married his high school love.
And it's a new t-shirt sayin’ I’m a grandpa.
Bein’ right there as our time got small
And holdin’ her hand when good the Lord called her up
Yeah, man, that’s the good stuff."
He said, "When you get home she’ll start to cry.
When she says, 'I’m sorry,' say 'So am I.'
Look into those eyes so deep in love and drink it up
‘Cause that’s the good stuff."
Since the 8th grade, Christian Liden of Poulsbo, WA, has dreamed of creating a special ring for his future wife with gemstones and gold he mined himself. With his recent discovery of a 2.2-carat yellow diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, AR, Liden is about to turn that dream into a reality.
The young man began his labor of love by panning for gold in his home state. After five years, he finally accumulated enough precious metal to make the band. Next, he and a close friend built their own mining equipment and set off on an adventure to find the precious stones that would adorn the ring. They tested their equipment at a Montana sapphire mine and then headed south to Arkansas, the home of the only diamond-bearing site in the world where visitors get to keep what they find.
“I was just hoping to find a couple smaller stones and had planned to buy a center stone later,” said the 26-year-old, “but that won’t be needed now.”
The friends arrived at the park late on Friday, May 7. They had enough time to quickly survey the park’s 37.5-acre diamond search area, which is actually the surface of an ancient, diamond-bearing volcanic pipe, and then returned to mine all day on Saturday. Despite coming up short on Day 2, they returned on Day 3 and that's when the magic happened.
Linden was wet sifting when he finally spotted what he had traveled more than 2,000 miles to find.
“I saw it shining as soon as I turned the screen over and immediately knew it was a diamond,” he said. “I was shaking so bad, I asked my buddy to grab it out of the gravel for me!”
Liden placed the gem in a plastic bag and carried it to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, where staff confirmed he had found a large, yellow diamond.
The Washingtonian's discovery is the largest diamond found at the park since last October, when a visitor from Fayetteville, AR, discovered a 4.49-carat yellow sparkler.
The park's Assistant Superintendent, Dru Edmonds, said, “Mr. Liden’s diamond is light yellow, with a triangular shape and a sparkling, metallic luster. Like most diamonds from the park, it contains a few inclusions, making it one-of-a-kind.”
Linden named his diamond “The Washington Sunshine” because it's got a nice, light yellow color, just like sunlight in Washington, according to the young man.
Liden told park officials that once he proposes, he wants to design an engagement ring with input of his bride-to-be using gems collected on his long-distance trek. The next stop on Linden's gemstone tour will be an opal mine in Nevada.
So far in 2021, 121 diamonds have been registered at Crater of Diamonds State Park. The collective weight of all of those diamonds is 20 carats.
Admission to the park’s diamond search area is currently limited to 1,500 tickets per day. Visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance at CraterofDiamondsStatePark.com.
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