MURFREESBORO, Ark. – Jack Pearadin, 35, of Nashville, Ark., and Michael Schumacher, 43, of Soldiers Grove, Wis., have visited Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park countless times over the years and have found many diamonds. However, a routine livestreamed gem search on Sunday, January 25 resulted in an historic find that shocked the two friends.
The discovery occurred while Pearadin was streaming on TikTok Live, processing a bucket of gravel concentrated from dirt that he and Schumacher had dug on the south end of the park's search area in late December. "I was flipping gravel centers and showing people how we do it," he said.
Sifting was particularly challenging that day, because a winter storm had dumped more than an inch of ice on the park and surrounding area just two days prior. Pearadin said, "Everything was frozen! I was trying to bring out stuff to wash when I could."
After flipping four piles of gravel from his screen, Pearadin was walking away when a golden glint caught his eye. "I was about eight feet away, and for some reason I turned back and saw it glowing from the center of the pile," Pearadin said.
Pearadin immediately recognized the familiar luster of a diamond but initially underestimated its size. "I went to get it out with my spoon, and the spoon wouldn't go underneath it," he explained. "I had to go almost to the bottom of the pile to pull it out, it was so big. I was shaking!"
Schumacher, who had left for Wisconsin before the storm, witnessed the discovery on livestream and recalled an earlier comment that now seemed prophetic. "Jack was like, 'Sorry, Mike, I haven't gone through our concentrate yet,' and I told him, 'Don't worry about it, dude. That big, flawless canary that's in there is just growing!' I literally said that to him, and it was in there!"
Schumacher returned to Arkansas as soon as he could, and the friends brought the gem back to the park on Friday, February 6, where staff confirmed it as a 6.03-carat yellow diamond.
According to Assistant Superintendent Waymon Cox, "This diamond is absolutely stunning to see! It has a very symmetrical, rounded surface and appears to be a hexoctahedron, a 48-sided crystal. The shape is fairly rare, as most Crater diamonds tend to have 12 or 24 faces."
The diamond is about the size of a gumdrop and has a glowing canary yellow hue. It ranks as the fourth-largest yellow diamond and 22nd-largest diamond of any color registered since the Crater of Diamonds became an Arkansas State Park in 1972. It is the 27th diamond registered in 2026.
Many visitors choose to name the diamonds they find at Crater of Diamonds State Park. Pearadin and Schumacher chose to name their gem the Pearadin Schumacher American Dream Diamond, inspired by the song "Sh-Boom (Life Could Be a Dream)" and the fact that they found it during America's 250th anniversary year.
For Pearadin, the discovery is about the journey rather than the profit. "I personally was never looking for this—I just enjoy the experience," he said. "I was never expecting this diamond; it's amazing to find it!"
Schumacher echoed the sentiment, noting the allure of the search. "The thought of being able to find something special like this is always a great dream to chase. It's something I'll do until I absolutely can't do it anymore."
Download photos HERE.
Quick Facts about Crater of Diamonds State Park
Diamonds come in all colors of the rainbow. The three most common colors found at Crater of Diamonds State Park are white, brown and yellow, in that order.
In total, over 75,000 diamonds have been unearthed at the Crater of Diamonds State Park since the first diamonds were discovered in 1906 by John Huddleston, a farmer who owned the land long before it became an Arkansas State Park in 1972.
The largest diamond ever discovered in the United States was unearthed in 1924 during an early mining operation on land that later became part of Crater of Diamonds State Park. Named the Uncle Sam, this white diamond with a pink cast weighed 40.23 carats. It was later cut into a 12.42-carat emerald shape. The Uncle Sam is now part of the Smithsonian's mineral and gem collection and can be seen at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C.
Another well-known diamond from the park is the Strawn-Wagner. Found in 1990 by Murfreesboro resident Shirley Strawn, this 3.03-carat white gem was cut into a round brilliant shape weighing 1.09 carats. It graded as ideal cut, D-colorless and flawless and was set in a platinum and 24-carat gold ring. In 1998, the state of Arkansas purchased this diamond for $34,700 in donations and placed it on permanent display at the park visitor center.
Crater of Diamonds State Park is located on Arkansas Highway 301 in Murfreesboro. It is one of 52 state parks administered by Arkansas State Parks, a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.