Son finds $1,000 diamond in park: 'This one's for mom'
September 1, 2005
Advertisement
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- It might be a hobby, but Steve Lee really knows how to spot a diamond in the rough.
Lee's most recent find -- a 1.22 carat, gem-quality diamond -- turned up during a recent visit to the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro.
He said he hasn't hunted for diamonds in more than two years because a disability forced him to use crutches. Friends persuaded him to take up the hobby again.
''It's a real thrill to find one this nice,'' he said Tuesday. ''Even if you can't get around good, you can still do it.''
Crater of Diamonds Supt. Tom Stolarz said the size of the find isn't unusual for the park, but the quality of the diamond is exceptional. The park is the only diamond mine in North America in which the public can dig.
About 25 diamonds are found each year that weigh more than a carat, Stolarz said. In previous years, Lee found a 6-carat, a 4.7-carat and a few 2-carat diamonds.
The diamond Lee found Monday could be worth more than $1,000, but he has other plans: ''This one's for mom,'' he said. AP
September 1, 2005
Advertisement
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- It might be a hobby, but Steve Lee really knows how to spot a diamond in the rough.
Lee's most recent find -- a 1.22 carat, gem-quality diamond -- turned up during a recent visit to the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro.
He said he hasn't hunted for diamonds in more than two years because a disability forced him to use crutches. Friends persuaded him to take up the hobby again.
''It's a real thrill to find one this nice,'' he said Tuesday. ''Even if you can't get around good, you can still do it.''
Crater of Diamonds Supt. Tom Stolarz said the size of the find isn't unusual for the park, but the quality of the diamond is exceptional. The park is the only diamond mine in North America in which the public can dig.
About 25 diamonds are found each year that weigh more than a carat, Stolarz said. In previous years, Lee found a 6-carat, a 4.7-carat and a few 2-carat diamonds.
The diamond Lee found Monday could be worth more than $1,000, but he has other plans: ''This one's for mom,'' he said. AP
