MURFREESBORO, Ark. — An Arkansas man has made history after he found the 35,000th diamond at the Crater of Diamonds State Park since it opened back in 1972.
Following the huge milestone, this becomes the 50th diamond that Scott Kreykes has found so far this year. Kreykes is a frequent visitor of the park and has registered over 80 diamonds in the four years that he's been visiting the park.
This historic moment happened back on Sept. 6 as Kreykes spent a day at the park's diamond search area. He later took gravel that he come across back home with him, so he could further inspect the contents.
“Each visitor that comes to the park is allowed to take one five-gallon bucket of sifted gravel home with them per day. Some visitors like to resift their gravel at home or wait for it to dry to look for the metallic shine of a diamond,” Park Interpreter Tayler Markham said.
While at home, this is where Kreykes would discover his 50th diamond and the momentous 35,000th diamond for the Crater of the Diamonds.
After the park verified the diamond, Kreykes was described as having "goosebumps."
He was then given a free two-night stay at Arkansas State Park for locating the gem. He also received a display for his diamond.
As per tradition for those who locate the diamonds, Kreykes was allowed to bestow his with a name. He opted to name it Leo, which is a nod to his grandson.
Following Kreykes discovery, there have now been a total of 512 diamonds registered at the Crater of Diamonds so far this year.
