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He wanted to see the rocket to the moon and found a diamond. Julien Navas from France came to Cape Canaveral, Florida, to attend the launch of America’s first private mission to the moon.
However, his journey took a surprising turn when he decided to visit New Orleans as well. Along the way, he learned about Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. A park known for its diamonds.
“That was hard work”
Navas, who already had experience with gold mining and finding fossils, was immediately interested and decided to try his luck there. He bought a ticket, rented basic diamond hunting equipment and set off. “I arrived at the park around 9 o’clock and started digging,” Navas told CNN. And further: “It was hard work, so in the afternoon I concentrated on looking for anything unusual on the surface.”
Fortunately, a lot of rain had fallen in recent days. “When it rains, dirt and soil are washed away, exposing heavy rocks, minerals and diamonds at the surface,” said Waymon Cox, assistant park superintendent.
Diamond named after his fiancée
Large diamonds are often found on the surface of the park and the 37.5 hectare search area is regularly plowed to loosen the soil and promote natural erosion. And Navas found what he was looking for after a few hours. The diamond is deep brown and round like a marble. It’s about the size of a candy. Estimated value: approximately 28,000 US dollars, 24,000 francs. “I was speechless,” Navas said.
Navas named his diamond “Carine Diamond” after his fiancée and plans to have the stone split into two diamonds: one for his future bride and one for his daughter.
The Carine Diamond is the eighth largest diamond found since the Crater of Diamonds opened as a state park in 1972. On average, park visitors find one or two diamonds every day. These were created deep underground hundreds of millions of years ago. According to geologists, a volcanic eruption occurred about 100 million years ago that brought the diamonds to the surface.
For Navas, the park is a “magical place where dreams can become reality.” He continues: “It really was a great adventure.” (ymh)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
