Texas family asked Siri where to mine crystals for fun — instead, it led them to a 2.09‑carat brown diamond
Artificial intelligence can be used for multiple purposes, but a Texas family chose to seek its help to uncover something precious. When 41-year-old high school teacher James Ward and his family were having a casual conversation with virtual assistant Siri to help them find places to mine crystals, it guided them to a place that led them to discover a 2.09-carat brown diamond. As reported by Arkansas State Parks in January 2026, the family is still debating whether to sell or keep this precious discovery.
During mid-December 2025, high school teacher James Ward, a resident of Cypress, was watching TV with his wife and two kids, Adrian (9) and Austin (7), when Austin asked if they could go mining for crystals, as recalled by his wife, Elizabeth. James, who heard his son, decided to hop on virtual assistant Siri to ask for nearby mining locations. Siri redirected the family to Arkansas' diamond site. They then drove to the location, which was six hours from their home. On December 29, 2025, the impulsive search led to a family trip, with the couple and their kids arriving at the Crater of Diamonds State Park. The first day, the family spent four hours searching; however, the cold weather cut short their trip. "We were so cold! We were here for, like, four hours. It was freezing, but Adrian was the one who wanted to come back," his wife noted, per Fox 59.
The family returned on the second day, unaware of the big surprise awaiting them. After two hours of digging through the dirt with their fingers, James found a metallic-looking crystal in the soil. Although the father of two was unaware of what the shiny stone was, he knew it was different from the rest. The family then headed to the Diamond Discovery Center, where the staff disclosed the big revelation; it was indeed a 2.09-carat diamond. As per Waymon Cox, Assistant Park Superintendent, James' diamond was about the size of a corn kernel. He also added that Crater diamonds originate in the upper mantle and were brought to the surface by "an ancient volcanic pipe." "Most are chipped, broken, or include flaws from the immense 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," he added, per PEOPLE.
James named the diamond "Ward Diamond" to commemorate his family's efforts to discover it. At present, he is still unsure whether to sell the diamond or keep it. "I'll have to see how much it's worth first," he said. This was the fifth diamond discovered from the search area in December. A total of 540 diamonds had been registered by staff.