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A longtime gem hunter who struck it big with a rare yellow diamond is now opening up about the remarkable discovery — and what it may be worth.
Jack Pearadin, a Navy reservist, found the gem at the Crater of Diamonds State Park earlier this year.
The gem, which Pearadin named the “American Dream,” weighs 6.03 carats. It has a striking golden-yellow color and an unusual, almost square shape.
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Though the discovery was first announced earlier this year, Pearadin recently opened up about the find to The Associated Press.
Arkansas state officials said Pearadin discovered the diamond during a Jan. 25 TikTok livestream while processing a bucket of gravel that he and his friend, Michael Schumacher, had collected from the park’s search area in late December.
Schumacher was traveling at the time.
Jack Pearadin, shown at left, and his friend Michael Schumacher, at right, collected gravel from Crater of Diamonds State Park’s search area. “I turned back and saw [the gem] glowing from the center of the pile,” Pearadin said. (Arkansas State Parks)
The hunt came shortly after a winter storm coated the area with more than an inch of ice, making it especially difficult to sift and wash the gravel.
“I was about eight feet away, and for some reason I turned back and saw [the gem] glowing from the center of the pile,” Pearadin said.
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“I had to go almost to the bottom of the pile to pull it out, it was so big. I was shaking!”
Pearadin’s reaction was captured in real time during a TikTok livestream.
“Oh my God! Oh my God!” he was recorded as saying. “We got a big one!”
A longtime gem hunter discovered the 6.03-carat yellow “American Dream” diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. In a photo provided by Pearadin, a man named Brian Busse, shown above left, holds the diamond on Aug. 9, 2026, in Buena Vista, Colorado. (Jack Pearadin via AP)
Pearadin told the AP that some collectors said the diamond could be worth as much as $1 million.
Park officials previously told Digital that park employees “are not trained to grade or appraise diamonds or other rocks and minerals.”
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“Our primary training involves properly identifying and registering diamonds for guests who find them,” an Arkansas State Parks official said.
“Anyone interested in having their diamonds graded or appraised can reach out to a certified gemologist, who has had special training to properly grade gemstone quality and estimate value.”
“It’s the only place in America where you can go find your own diamond, and you can’t compare that to a diamond from anywhere else.”
Laura Stanley, a certified gem appraiser in Little Rock, told the AP that a high-quality six-carat yellow diamond from the park could sell for about $250,000.
“They are their own entity,” Stanley said.
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“It’s the only place in America where you can go find your own diamond, and you can’t compare that to a diamond from anywhere else.”
Pearadin has been searching for diamonds at the park since 2013 and even moved to nearby Murfreesboro to pursue the hobby, according to the AP.
The “American Dream” diamond weighs 6.03 carats and has a golden-yellow color and an unusual, almost square shape. (Arkansas State Parks)
“I love it that much,” he told the outlet.
Pearadin has sold most of the diamonds he has personally found through online sales.
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For the “American Dream,” Pearadin said he plans to split any profits with Schumacher, who helped collect the gravel containing the stone. He hopes to use the money to open his own crystal mine.
Digital reached out to Pearadin for further comment.
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Pearadin’s discovery is one of several notable diamonds unearthed at Crater of Diamonds State Park this year.
This summer, officials announced that a grieving Pennsylvania woman had discovered a 3.09-carat diamond at the park, just days after burying her father and months after losing her son.
A certified gem appraiser told The Associated Press a high-quality 6-carat yellow diamond from the park could sell for about $250,000. (Arkansas State Parks)
On Aug. 29, officials announced that a Tennessee grandfather had discovered a 2.29-carat yellow diamond while searching the park.
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The Associated Press contributed reporting.
