A lucky 14-year-old Centerton, Arkansas boy walked out of an Arkansas state park this weekend with quite the flashy find — his very own diamond.
Kalel Langford spotted the massive 7.44-carat diamond lying on the ground on Saturday afternoon (March 11). Kalel was walking in the southern part of the Arkansas Crater of Diamonds state park when he spotted a shiny, dark brown gem just a few inches from a stream of water, according to a park press release.
The diamond is the seventh largest that has been found at the park since 1972.
"We had only been at the park for about 30 minutes when he found it," said Kalel's father, Craig Langford. "Its color was so dark that we weren't sure if it was a diamond, but we knew we needed to have it looked at."
They were right.
Kalel named his flashy discovery "Superman's Diamond" after the DC Comics superhero who shares the same birth name as the boy.
"When we chose to name him Kalel, we didn't realize that [Kal-El] was also Superman's birth name," Langford said.
Diamond hunting conditions were perfect at the state park on Saturday, said Waymon Cox, a park interpreter. Rain had fallen recently in the search area, which helps uncover larger diamonds near the surface.
"Diamonds have a metallic-looking shine and are often easier to spot on top of the ground," Cox said.
The diamond is unique find too.
"Kalel's diamond is about the size of a pinto bean, and it's very dark brown, similar to coffee," Cox said. "Overall, the gem has a frosted appearance and is shaped somewhat like a pillow or a kite."
Superman's Diamond is the largest brown diamond that's been found at the park in nearly 40 years. Betty Lamle found an 8.61-carat brown diamond in 1978.
"This diamond is a truly extraordinary find," Cox said. "It was Kalel's dream to visit the Crater of Diamonds State Park, and now he will always be part of this park's remarkable history. We are all very happy for him."
