MURFREESBORO, Ark. (KARK) – With the help of a simple question to Apple’s Siri, a Texas man ended up snagging a 2.09-carat brown diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas.
The journey began for James Ward at his Texas home in December 2025 after one of his sons asked about a place to mine for crystals. After asking Siri for nearby mining locations, the Arkansas diamond site popped up.
James, his wife Elizabeth and his two children, Adrian and Austin, took a trip to Murfreesboro on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, where they spent hours searching during winter weather.
“We were so cold! We were here for, like, four hours. It was freezing, but Adrian was the one who wanted to come back,” Elizabeth Ward said.
The family returned for a second day, which led to the discovery of a metallic-looking crystal in the soil.
The find turned out to be a 2.09-carat diamond.
“You can stumble upon a diamond in any place or time,” James Ward said. “Don’t give up on the first day!”
Photos: Crater of Diamonds State Park
Park officials said the diamond is about the size of a corn kernel, with a dark yellowish-brown hue and a metallic luster. James Ward named his gem the Ward Diamond.
The Ward Diamond is one of five diamonds found on the surface of the search area in December.