Diamond digger mistakes nearly 4-carat gem for candy wrapper

MURFREESBORO, Ark. (Gray News) – A diamond hunter got a sweet surprise when what he thought was a candy wrapper on the ground turned out to be the biggest diamond he’s ever found.

David DeCook was visiting Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park with his family when he spotted what he initially thought was a glimmering candy wrapper.

Once he got closer, he said he knew what he had found – a 3.81-carat Octahedral Brown Diamond.

Stirring up some sibling rivalry, DeCook called out to his brother, “Oh, you’re going to be mad once you see what I found!”

According to Arkansas State Park, many visitors choose to name the diamonds they find at the park. DeCook decided to name his gem The Duke Diamond, after his dog.

The 3.81-carat diamond has a metallic, copper luster and a blocky, triangular shape. It is the largest found at the park since the 7.46-carat Carine Diamond found in Jan. 2024, Arkansas State Park reported.

The Duke Diamond is the 217th diamond ed at the park in 2025.

According to Arkansas State Park, the three most common color of diamonds found at the park are white, brown and yellow, in that order.

Copyright 2025 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved. CNN contributed to this report.