A Washington state man hoping to find the raw materials to make his own engagement ring recently unearthed a large diamond at the Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro.
Christian Linden of Poulsbo, Washington, discovered a 2.20-carat yellow diamond at the park on May 9. Lidens diamond is the largest found at the park since last October, when a visitor from Fayetteville discovered a 4.49-carat yellow diamond. Linden found his diamond in dirt from the West Drain of the parks 37.5-acre diamond search area, the surface of an ancient, diamond-bearing volcanic pipe.
“I saw it shining as soon as I turned the screen over and immediately knew it was a diamond,” Linden says. “I was shaking so bad, I asked my buddy to grab it out of the gravel for me.”
Liden placed the gem in a plastic bag and carried it to the parks Diamond Discovery Center, where staff confirmed he had found a large, yellow diamond.
Linden says he has been working for years to assemble the raw materials to make his own engagement ring. He began panning for gold in his home state, and after five years had collected enough material for a ring. Linden and friend arrived at the park on May 1 to search for diamonds for the ring, but didn’t expect to find such a large stone.
“I was just hoping to find a couple smaller stones and had planned to buy a center stone later, but that won’t be needed now,” Linden says.
According to Assistant Superintendent Dru Edmonds, “Mr. Liden’s diamond is light yellow, with a triangular shape and a sparkling, metallic luster. Like most diamonds from the park, it contains a few inclusions, making it one of a kind.”
“As beautiful as this diamond is, I think the best part is the story behind it, Edmonds continued. Since the eighth grade, Mr. Liden has dreamed of creating a special ring for his future wife, with stones and gold he mined, himself. And now he can make that dream come true.”
Finders of large Crater diamonds often choose to name their gems. Liden has named his diamond the Washington Sunshine, “because it’s got a nice, light yellow color, just like sunlight in Washington.”
Diamonds come in all colors of the rainbow. The three colors found at Crater of Diamonds State Park are white, brown, and yellow, in that order.
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