Family Trip Leads to Diamond Discovery in Murfreesboro
A simple question to a virtual assistant turned into an unforgettable family adventure for a Texas family visiting Crater of Diamonds State Park.
James Ward, a 41-year-old high school teacher from Cypress, Texas, discovered a 2.09-carat brown diamond on Tuesday, December 30, while visiting the park with his wife, Elizabeth, and their two sons, Adrian, 9, and Austin, 7.
The trip began earlier in December at the family’s home when their youngest son asked if there were any nearby places to mine for crystals. After Elizabeth Ward used a virtual assistant to search for locations, the family learned about Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas.
With no firm holiday plans, the Wards decided to make the six-hour drive and arrived at the park on Monday, December 29. Despite spending several hours searching in cold winter conditions, the family initially considered cutting their visit short. However, their son Adrian encouraged them to return for a second day.
That decision paid off. While searching near the West Drain section of the park’s 37.5-acre diamond search area, James Ward noticed a metallic-looking crystal in the soil and set it aside with the family’s other finds. Before leaving, the family stopped at the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, where staff confirmed the stone was a diamond.
Assistant Park Superintendent Waymon Cox described the diamond as about the size of a corn kernel, with a dark yellowish-brown color and a metallic luster common to diamonds found at the park. Cox also explained that the shield-shaped gem is a broken crystal, noting that most diamonds found at the Crater show signs of chipping or breakage due to the extreme geological forces that brought them to the surface.
James Ward named the find the Ward Diamond, marking the special family experience. As for what comes next, Ward says he has not yet decided whether to keep or sell the diamond.
Beyond the gemstone itself, the family says the experience carried a meaningful lesson in persistence and following curiosity. Park officials note the Ward Diamond was one of five diamonds found at the surface in December, bringing the total number of diamonds registered at the park to 540 for the year.