Khaberni - A spontaneous question from a 7-year-old child, and the assistance of the voice assistant "Siri," led a Texas family to the discovery of a rare diamond inside a state park in Arkansas, in a remarkable event that combined childhood curiosity and modern technology.
According to the Crater of Diamonds State Park in an official statement, the family found a brown diamond weighing 2.09 carats during a visit by the father, a high school teacher named James Ward, accompanied by his wife Elizabeth and their two children Adrian (9 years) and Austin (7 years), according to "People" magazine.
The story began when the younger child, Austin, asked his mother if there was a place in Texas or nearby where they could search for crystals. Immediately, the family turned to the voice assistant "Siri" to search for suitable locations, which led them to the Crater of Diamonds Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, about six hours' drive away.
The family embarked on their trip and spent about four hours searching inside the park amid extremely cold weather, which prompted them to leave temporarily. However, they returned the next day and spent an additional two hours digging before the father found a noticeable stone near the search area, which spans 37.5 acres.
James Ward said he noticed a "crystal with a different metallic appearance from anything he had found before," and later placed it in a paper bag with the rest of what he gathered, before heading to the diamond discovery center within the park, where it was confirmed as a real diamond weighing 2.09 carats.
The deputy manager of the park, Waymon Cox, explained that the discovered diamond is about the size of a corn kernel, with a brownish-yellow color and a special metallic luster known as characteristic of Crater diamonds, indicating that these stones were formed deep within the Earth's mantle, and then reached the surface through ancient volcanic activity.
Cox added that most diamonds found in the area are broken or flawed due to immense geological pressures, noting that the size of the discovered diamond suggests it was much larger before being subjected to these natural factors.
James Ward decided to name the stone "Ward Diamond" in honor of his family, noting that he has not yet decided whether to sell it or keep it, awaiting its market value.
This diamond is one of five found on the surface of the search area in December (December) alone, while the park recorded the discovery of 540 diamonds during the year 2025. Since the site was converted to a state park in 1972, visitors have found over 35,000 diamonds.
James concluded his advice to visitors saying: "You can find a diamond at any time and from anywhere.. Do not give up on the first day," while his wife Elizabeth commented, "Listen to your children's dreams and what they want to try out."
