The dig of a lifetime
Real talk: Jack Pearadin has been obsessed with finding the perfect stone for over a decade. The Navy reservist moved all the way to Murfreesboro just to be closer to Crater of Diamonds State Park, a spot he’s been frequenting since 2013. He’s found over 300 gems there, but his latest discovery is total main character energy.
While sifting through gravel with his buddy Michael Schumacher, Pearadin pulled a 6.03-carat canary yellow diamond out of the dirt. He was literally livestreaming on TikTok when he found it, and honestly, the reaction was iconic. “Oh my God! Oh my God! Holy crap, we got a big one!” he yelled. The stone is roughly the size of a fingernail, making it the largest find at the park all year. He’s officially named the beauty the “American Dream.”
Is it worth a million?
Pearadin claims some collectors told him the stone could be worth $1 million. Lowkey, the experts are a bit more conservative. Certified gem appraiser Laura Stanley notes that a high-quality six-carat yellow diamond from the park could fetch around $250,000, largely because of the unique hype surrounding stones found at this specific location.
Most diamonds found at the park are tiny—around a quarter of a carat—but this one is in a different league. Pearadin plans to split the cash with Schumacher and then use his share to open his own crystal mine.
Why it matters
Crater of Diamonds is one of the only places on the planet where you can pay $15 for a bucket, dig in the dirt, and walk away with whatever you find. Most mines are high-security zones, so having a place like this open to the public is a total W. Since 1972, over 37,000 diamonds have been unearthed by visitors, proving that sometimes, you just have to keep digging to catch your big break.
