Most parents Google "places to take kids" and end up at Chuck E Cheese.
One mom asked Siri about mining crystals and stumbled onto something worth thousands.
And now a Texas family turned a Siri search into a 2-carat diamond after his 7-year-old asked this simple question.
Seven-Year-Old's Crystal Dream Led to Arkansas Park
James Ward didn't plan on becoming a treasure hunter when he loaded his family into the car for a six-hour drive to Arkansas.
His 7-year-old son Austin sparked the whole adventure while watching TV at their Cypress, Texas home.
"One day we were watching TV, and Austin came and said, 'Mommy, Mommy, is there any place in Texas or nearby that we can mine for crystals?'" Elizabeth Ward recalled.
She grabbed her phone, asked Siri, and found Crater of Diamonds State Park in Pike County, Arkansas.
"I sent the link to James, and he's like, 'Oh wait, that's only like six hours away. We can go!'" Elizabeth added.
Six hours in a car with two young boys for a maybe-we'll-find-something adventure.
Most dads would've suggested the local rock shop instead.
Cold Weather Nearly Ended Search on Day One
The Ward family arrived at Crater of Diamonds State Park on December 29 ready to dig.
Day one was long, freezing, and fruitless.
The cold sent them back to their hotel empty-handed.
But 9-year-old Adrian convinced the family to give it another shot the next day.
"I didn't know what it was, but I knew it was different than everything else I had found," James Ward said about his December 30 discovery.
The 41-year-old dad unearthed a 2.09-carat brown diamond on their second day of searching.
Park officials named it the Ward Diamond.
Park Officials Compared Diamond to Corn Kernel
Waymon Cox, an assistant park superintendent, described the Ward Diamond's appearance.
"[It has] a dark yellowish-brown hue and a beautiful, metallic luster [that's] characteristic of all Crater diamonds," Cox said.
The diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park formed millions of years ago in Earth's upper mantle.
"[They] were carried to the surface by an ancient volcanic pipe" Cox explained.
Most crater diamonds are chipped or broken from the geological forces they endured.
"Given its current size, you can imagine how much bigger Mr. Ward's diamond might have been as a complete crystal," Cox added.
The Ward family got lucky finding a gem that survived the trip to the surface relatively intact.
Ward Weighing Options on Diamond's Future
James Ward hasn't decided what to do with his discovery yet.
"I'll have to see how much it's worth first," he said.
Arkansas State Parks employees aren't trained to appraise diamonds.
"Our primary training involves properly identifying and registering diamonds for guests who find them," a park official told Fox News Digital.
Anyone wanting their diamonds appraised needs to contact a certified gemologist.
Ward's 2.09-carat brown diamond joins a growing list of substantial finds at the park.
An Oklahoma family found a 2.79-carat diamond there in September using dollar store tools.
A Minnesota resident unearthed a 3.81-carat brown diamond in April.
The park lets visitors keep whatever they find, which explains why families keep making the trip despite cold weather and long drives.
Parents Should Listen to Kids' Wild Ideas
Elizabeth Ward had simple advice for other parents after watching her son's crystal mining dream pay off.
"Listen to your kids about their dreams and what they want to do!" she said.
Most parents would've dismissed Austin's question about mining crystals as kid talk.
Elizabeth took 30 seconds to ask Siri instead.
That search turned into a six-hour drive, a freezing first day, and a 2.09-carat diamond worth potentially thousands of dollars.
James Ward encouraged other park visitors not to quit after a disappointing first attempt.
The family nearly gave up after their cold, unsuccessful first day of digging.
Nine-year-old Adrian's persistence led them back to the park where his dad found the gem the next morning.
Sometimes kids know exactly what they're doing when they drag their parents into seemingly crazy adventures.
Sources:
- Andrea Margolis, "Man stumbles onto rare diamond treasure during Arkansas park trip with family: 'Knew it was different,'" Fox News, January 9, 2026.
- Arkansas State Parks, press release regarding Ward Diamond discovery, January 2026.
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