Navy reservist finds 6.03-carat diamond at Arkansas park while livestreaming on TikTok
Jack Pearadin, a Navy reservist, found a 6.03-carat diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas while livestreaming on TikTok. Collectors told him it could be worth over $1 million, while a certified appraiser put it nearer $250,000.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Jack Pearadin, a Navy reservist who has hunted for gems in Arkansas for about 13 years, found a 6.03-carat diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park while livestreaming on TikTok. The IndependentLC “A Navy reservist who has spent more than a dozen years sifting rocks in Arkansas has unearthed a 6.03-carat diamond” Read at The Independent ↗ BreitbartR “Jack Pearadin, a Navy reservist, thought his 13-year diamond hunting hobby wasn’t paying off” Read at Breitbart ↗ Mixed · 2He and a friend shoveled the gravel that produced the stone; Pearadin exclaimed "Holy crap, we got a big one!" on the stream as the diamond appeared. The IndependentLC ““Holy crap, we got a big one!” he yelled after rinsing gravel from a bucket” Read at The Independent ↗ BreitbartR ““Oh my God! Oh my God!” Pearadin said as he live streamed the discovery on TikTok.” Read at Breitbart ↗ Mixed · 2The stone is roughly the size of a fingernail and is the largest diamond found at the park this year. The IndependentLC “It is the largest diamond found this year at Crater of Diamonds State Park.” Read at The Independent ↗ BreitbartR “About the size of a fingernail, the diamond is the largest found this year at the park” Read at Breitbart ↗
Mixed · 2Collectors have told Pearadin it could be worth more than $1 million, but a certified gem appraiser, Laura Stanley of Little Rock, said a high-quality six-carat yellow diamond from the park can sell for about $250,000, partly because of its origin. The IndependentLC “a high-quality six-carat yellow diamond from the park can sell for about $250,000, she said, partly because of their origin.” Read at The Independent ↗ BreitbartR “One certified gem appraiser told a news outlet that Pearadin’s diamond typically would go for $250,000” Read at Breitbart ↗ Mixed · 2Pearadin, originally from Missouri, has searched the park since 2013 and moved to nearby Murfreesboro for the hobby; he said "I love it that much" and has sold most of his diamonds online. The IndependentLC “He even moved to nearby Murfreesboro to support his hobby.”“He has sold most of his diamonds online.” Read at The Independent ↗ BreitbartR “Pearadin, originally from Missouri, moved to Murfreesboro to pursue his hobby” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 1Breitbart reports that Pearadin plans to split any proceeds with fellow gem hunter Michael Schumacher of Wisconsin, who helped dig the gravel, and has named the diamond the "American Dream". BreitbartR “Pearadin said he plans to split the profits with fellow gem hunter Michael Schumacher of Wisconsin”“He’s calling it the “American Dream.”” Read at Breitbart ↗
Mixed · 2The park, a former open-pit diamond mine that became a state park in 1972, has yielded more than 37,000 diamonds; visitors pay $15 to fill a bucket and keep what they find. The IndependentLC “The park charges a $15 entry fee to fill a 5-gallon bucket with rocks, and visitors keep any gemstones they find.” Read at The Independent ↗ BreitbartR “More than 37,000 diamonds have been discovered since the former mine became part of a state park in 1972” Read at Breitbart ↗ Left · 1The park produces 400 to 800 diamonds a year, according to park interpreter Sarah Bivens, most weighing about a quarter of a carat. The IndependentLC “The park produces between 400 and 800 diamonds annually, according to park interpreter Sarah Bivens” Read at The Independent ↗ Mixed · 2The largest diamond found in the US, the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam, came from the park in 1924 and was cut into a 12.42-carat gem now at the Smithsonian; larger finds also include a 9-carat stone in 2020 and a 7-carat stone in 2024. The IndependentLC “a 40.23-carat stone called the Uncle Sam, came from the park in 1924.”“In 2020, an Arkansas bank manager found a 9-carat diamond at the park.” Read at The Independent ↗ BreitbartR “The Uncle Sam crystal was cut and polished into a 12.42-carat diamond gifted to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History” Read at Breitbart ↗
Mixed · 2Natural diamonds are often cloudy and oddly shaped and lose about a quarter of their weight when cut and polished, according to Nathan Renfro of the Gemological Institute of America. The IndependentLC “They lose about 25% of their weight as they are cut and polished” Read at The Independent ↗ BreitbartR “They lose about a quarter of their weight when they’re cut and polished into a useable gem.” Read at Breitbart ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Human-interest piece (Independent, AP-sourced material) leading with the potential $1 million value, then tempering it with appraiser estimates and park background.
- Emphasis
- Appraiser valuation caveats, park statistics and expert explanation of diamond formation and US deposits.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the profit split with Michael Schumacher or the name "American Dream".
- For example
-
“One experienced appraiser said that a diamond of that size and quality could be worth a fourth of that figure.” — The Independent
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Breitbart runs a lighter, aspirational story leading with the million-dollar possibility, relying on ABC reporting and the park's website.
- Emphasis
- The personal story, the "American Dream" name, the profit split and notable park diamonds.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Omits the park's annual output figures and the expert commentary on the park's rarity.
- Charged language
- “shiny one million dollars”“a cool million”
- For example
-
“much less than a cool million but still an impressive take.” — Breitbart
What every side reports
- Jack Pearadin, a Navy reservist, found a 6.03-carat diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park while livestreaming on TikTok.
- It is the largest diamond found at the park this year.
- Collectors suggested it could be worth over $1 million, while an appraiser cited about $250,000.
- The park charges $15 and visitors keep what they find.
Where accounts differ
-
Likely value of the diamond
- Left
- Collectors say over $1 million, but one experienced appraiser said it could be worth a fourth of that.
- Right
- Headline says it could be worth $1 million; the text says the $1 million figure is Pearadin's belief and an appraiser put it at $250,000.
-
Where the stone was rinsed
- Left
- Describes him rinsing the gravel and flipping it onto a table on the livestream.
- Right
- Says the gem appeared when he rinsed the gravel from his bucket later at his home workshop.
Crater of Diamonds State Park place
The park, per its website and staff, says it has yielded over 37,000 diamonds since 1972, lets visitors keep finds, and produces 400 to 800 diamonds a year.
“The park produces between 400 and 800 diamonds annually, according to park interpreter Sarah Bivens” — The Independent
“More than 37,000 diamonds have been discovered since the former mine became part of a state park in 1972, according to its website.” — Breitbart
Left1 article
-
Gem hunter finds potential $1 million diamond while livestreaming on TikTok
Neutral Wonder-and-context report that pairs the $1 million headline figure with a more conservative appraisal.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
Gem Hunter Finds 6-Carat Natural Diamond in Arkansas Park that Could Be Worth $1 Million
Celebratory Upbeat local-interest story stressing the million-dollar prospect, the "American Dream" name and the shared profits.
- 2 Oct 11:17 First The IndependentLC Gem hunter finds potential $1 million diamond while livestreaming on TikTok
- 2 Oct 18:25 +7h 7m BreitbartR Gem Hunter Finds 6-Carat Natural Diamond in Arkansas Park that Could Be Worth $1 Million
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.