Nebraska teacher finds 2.12 carat diamond at Arkansas state park

Josh Lanik, 36, of Hebron, found a 2.12-carat brown diamond during a recent visit to Crater of Diamonds State Park, park officials announced Monday.

Lanik was vacationing with his family when he visited the park. After spending two hours digging for diamonds Wednesday, Lanik unearthed the brandy-colored gem, KARK reported.

Lanik found the diamond about 15 feet away from the West Drain trench in the southwest part of the park, the Arkansas Times reported. Park officials said in a news release that it was the largest diamond found this year at Crater of Diamonds.

"We took the kids to look for amethyst on Canary Hill, and I was walking through an area where it looked like a lot of water had washed when I saw it," Lanik told KTVE.

In the news release, park official Waymon Cox said recent heavy rains in Arkansas may have helped Lanik find the gem.

“About 14 inches of rain fell at the park on July 16," Cox said. "In the days after the rainfall, park staff registered numerous diamonds found right on the surface of the search area, including two weighing over 1 carat.”

Park officials said 296 diamonds have been found this year, the Times reported.

Cox said the gem -- named the Lanik Family Diamond -- "is about the size of a jellybean," and its color is "similar to brandy."

"It has a beautiful natural pear shape and smooth, curved facets that give the gem a metallic shine,” Cox said in the news release.

Lanik said he planned to keep the gem -- for now -- KTVE reported.