In honor of the Fourth we're taking a look at the largest American found
diamond, Uncle Sam.
Discovered by Wesley Oley Basham, Uncle Sam was unearthed in 1924 from the Prairie Creek Pipe Mine in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. The hefty rough was named after Basham’s nickname “Uncle Sam” and weighed in at 40.23 carats. Its discovery drew attention to the failing Arkansas Diamond Corporation, rescuing the company from its debt and inevitable closure that winter. Now the mine is known as The Crater of Diamonds State Park. It is the only mine in the world open to the public and has become a popular vacation destination for American rockhounds.
Uncle Sam was decided to be stylized as an 12.42 carat emerald cut fashioned by
Schenck & Van Haelen of New York. The stone was graded as an M in color, for it has been described to be a pale brown or slightly pink. The VVS1 clarity was demonstrated beautifully in the stepped facets as a viewer could not see an inclusion without the assistance of a loupe.
Uncle Sam was sold to a private collector in 1971 for $150 million and is unfortunately not
on display but is still a celebrated American treasure.
From Uncle Sam, have a very happy and safe Fourth of July!
Sources:
http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Sam_(diamond)
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