Okie Dokie

4.21 carats (rough) Marvin Culver, of Nowata, Oklahoma, unearthed a large, canary yellow diamond near this location on March 12, 2006. Culver and his family decided to visit the park after watching a television program featuring the Crater of Diamonds. Culver was wet sifting at the north washing pavilion when he first saw the bright yellow, egg-shaped gem in his washed gravel. An Oklahoma State Trooper, Culver chose to name his gem the Okie Dokie Diamond, to pay homage to his home state. Friendly and charismatic, Culver was featured with the Okie Dokie Diamond in news stories and television programs nationwide in 2006. This significantly impacted park visitation and Arkansas tourism for many years.