A livestreamed gem search has led to a historic discovery at Crater of Diamonds State Park, where two longtime visitors uncovered a rare 6.03-carat yellow diamond now known as the American Dream Diamond.
Jack Pearadin, 35, of Nashville, Arkansas, and Michael Schumacher, 43, of Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, made the discovery after concentrating gravel collected from the south end of the park’s search area. Pearadin was processing the material on TikTok Live on January 25 when a bright glint in a gravel pile caught his attention.
Pearadin said icy conditions from a recent winter storm made sifting difficult, but while walking away from one screened pile, he turned back and spotted the shining stone. After digging it out, he realized the diamond was far larger than expected.
Schumacher, who had already returned to Wisconsin, watched the moment unfold on the livestream and later traveled back to Arkansas. Park staff confirmed the gem on February 6 as a 6.03-carat yellow diamond crystal.
According to park officials, the diamond has a rounded, highly symmetrical shape known as a hexoctahedron, a relatively rare 48-sided crystal form. About the size of a gumdrop, the gem shows a vivid canary-yellow color.
The stone ranks as the fourth-largest yellow diamond and the 22nd-largest diamond of any color recorded at the park since it became a state park in 1972. It is also the 27th diamond registered there so far in 2026.
The pair named the gem the Pearadin Schumacher American Dream Diamond, inspired by a classic song lyric and the nation’s 250th anniversary year. Both say the thrill of the search — not the value — is what keeps them returning to the park.
Crater of Diamonds State Park is one of the only places in the world where the public can search for and keep diamonds found in their original volcanic source. More than 75,000 diamonds have been unearthed at the site since discoveries there began in 1906.
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