It is everyone's wish, that is undoubtedly.
Who hasn't dreamed, at some point, of discovering something unexpectedly and having it turn them into a millionaire?
Along these lines, last year, the curious case of
David Anderson
went around the world: he is the man who has discovered more than
400 diamonds
in the last 16 years while walking through the Crater of Diamonds State Park, in the State of Arkansas .
At the end of last month, January 2024, history repeated itself with
Julien Navas
, a Frenchman who was sightseeing in the United States when he found a priceless diamond in a national park that has made him a millionaire.
He found a diamond and became a millionaire
This story began when Navas traveled to the
United States
with the intention of observing the launch of United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rocket in
Cape Canaveral
, Florida.
After the launch, excited, the man
toured the area
and visited Crater of Diamonds State Park.
With only the help of a
basic diamond hunting kit
, Julien Navas began digging around the area to see if he discovered any stones.
Julien Navas found a brown diamond.
Photo: Arkansas State Parks
He found nothing for hours, until he finally found a circular
brown diamond
weighing
7.46 carats
.
"I'm so happy!
The only thing I can think about is telling my wife what I found. Crater of Diamonds State Park is a magical place, where the dream of finding a diamond can come true
," he said of his find. at that time.
Although the diamond has an incalculable value and
could make him a millionaire
, Navas himself assured that he has no intention of selling it and that he planned
to cut it so that his wife and daughter have their share.
What is the Crater of Diamonds park like?
Crater of Diamonds
, in Arkansas, is the only publicly accessible diamond mine in the entire United States, according to the parks department.
Visitors who enter there can keep the
diamonds
, which are usually
white, brown and yellow
.
After learning this story, it seems that it is common to find diamonds in
Crater of Diamonds
State Park .
The site even has an area called the
"Diamond Search Area
," where park visitors can find their own stones.
Of course, what
is not common is to find stones of as much value
as that of Julien Navas.
According to the park itself, more than 75,000 diamonds
have been found there since 1906
.
The diamond he discovered weighs 7.46 carats.
Photo: Arkansas State Parks
A diamond, a tourist and another story of luck and millions
In 2022,
Noreen Wredberg
found the diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park, which she and her husband decided to visit.
The woman was searching in a shady area near the mine entrance until her husband suggested they move.
"It was cold in the shade that morning," her husband said, "so I told Noreen we should go to the middle of the field, where it was warmer."
She listened to her husband's advice and, 40 minutes later, saw a
shiny gem
on top of the ground.
"I didn't know it was a diamond then, but it was clean and shiny, so I picked it up!"
"Ms. Wredberg's diamond weighs more than
four carats
, is pear-shaped and lemonade yellow in color," said Park Superintendent Caleb Howell.
With information from La Vanguardia.