MURFREESBORO, Ark. – A routine diamond search turned historic when two friends discovered a 6.03-carat yellow diamond during a TikTok livestream at Crater of Diamonds State Park on January 25.
Jack Pearadin, 35, of Nashville, Arkansas, and Michael Schumacher, 43, of Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, made the discovery while processing gravel they had collected from the park’s south end in late December. Pearadin was streaming the sifting process on TikTok Live when he spotted a golden glint in a pile of gravel.
“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. “I went to get it out with my spoon, and the spoon wouldn’t go underneath it. I had to go almost to the bottom of the pile to pull it out, it was so big. I was shaking!”
Schumacher witnessed the discovery remotely from Wisconsin while watching the livestream. He had jokingly told Pearadin earlier not to worry about processing their concentrate, saying “that big, flawless canary that’s in there is just growing!”
Park staff confirmed the gem as a 6.03-carat yellow diamond on February 6. According to Assistant Superintendent Waymon Cox, the diamond has a symmetrical, rounded surface and appears to be a hexoctahedron, a 48-sided crystal.
“This diamond is absolutely stunning to see!” Cox said. “The shape is fairly rare, as most Crater diamonds tend to have 12 or 24 faces.”
The diamond, about the size of a gumdrop with a glowing canary yellow hue, ranks as the fourth-largest yellow diamond and 22nd-largest diamond of any color registered since the site became a state park in 1972. It is the 27th diamond registered in 2026.
The friends named their find the Pearadin Schumacher American Dream Diamond, inspired by the song “Sh-Boom (Life Could Be a Dream)” and the fact they found it during America’s 250th anniversary year.
“I personally was never looking for this—I just enjoy the experience,” Pearadin said. “I was never expecting this diamond; it’s amazing to find it!”
Over 75,000 diamonds have been discovered at Crater of Diamonds State Park since 1906. The park, located on Arkansas Highway 301 in Murfreesboro, is one of the only places in the world where the public can search for diamonds in their original volcanic source.
For more information, visit ArkansasStateParks.com.