I’d heard rumors for years about one big diamond that had been found near McCall. Clickbait sites like 104.3 WOW Country in Boise love this kind of jaw-dropping story. But was there ever anything to it? Yes and no.
Sometimes called “the lost diamond of Goose Creek,” it was allegedly found in the 1920s somewhere between McCall and New Meadows near Rock Flat. The diamond was said to be 19 ½ to 20 carats. Now, if you’re picturing something the size of a grape, think smaller. It would be huge for a diamond, but only about the size of a pea.
People who have written about it over the years seem to have been satisfied with the gee-whiz nature of the story more than finding out its provenance.
I found the original piece in the Idaho Statesman from February 3, 1947, under the headline, Rock Flat ‘Sparklers’ Might Bring Gem Rush. The story began:
“The quiet little village of McCall, a hundred miles north of Boise, may be in for a rush like that of the 60s, which sprayed high-booted, slouch-hatted men in every direction across the crag-studded highlands of Idaho to shake golden grains from ancient sands with pan, hand-hewn Long Tom, and cradle rocker. Only this time the lusty miners will not be watching for black sand and golden grains, but for the white fire of diamonds and the blood-red of rubies and garnets.”
The story went on to say that a 19 ½-carat diamond worth around $10,000 (about $150,000 in today’s money, if you have any) was found. Pink garnets, quartz crystals, white sapphire, and topaz had been found in the area over the years. A “flawless ruby” had once allegedly been plucked from the old gold mining site.
The startling find was not news to one old-timer. Mrs. Ed Luzadder said, “Diamonds? Diamonds break out on Rock Flat every five years—like measles.”
The paper ended the piece by comparing the diamond rumors to the sightings of the local lake monster, which was at that time yet to be named.
The diamond story warranted one more appearance in the Statesman. On March 2, 1947, the paper ran a story that noted, “The nearly 20-carat ‘diamond’ reported to have been found on Rock Flat near McCall, may turn out to be an exceptionally brilliant topaz instead, say Idahoans familiar with the semi-precious stones of the state.”
If, as sometimes happens, the stone turned out to be brilliant topaz, it would have been worth about $250 instead of the $10,000 a diamond might have fetched.
The Statesman presented one example of topaz, a stone often seen by many Boiseans. The Rt. Rev. Frank A. Rhea, bishop of the Episcopal Church in Idaho, wore a cross of Idaho gold with a 6 ½-carat white topaz in the center. The topaz had come from Rock Flat.
The story of the fabled rock—diamond or topaz—quickly faded. One might think that would be the end of it, but the tale provided just enough detail to keep life in the rumors about a “missing” diamond for decades. So far.
Sometimes called “the lost diamond of Goose Creek,” it was allegedly found in the 1920s somewhere between McCall and New Meadows near Rock Flat. The diamond was said to be 19 ½ to 20 carats. Now, if you’re picturing something the size of a grape, think smaller. It would be huge for a diamond, but only about the size of a pea.
People who have written about it over the years seem to have been satisfied with the gee-whiz nature of the story more than finding out its provenance.
I found the original piece in the Idaho Statesman from February 3, 1947, under the headline, Rock Flat ‘Sparklers’ Might Bring Gem Rush. The story began:
“The quiet little village of McCall, a hundred miles north of Boise, may be in for a rush like that of the 60s, which sprayed high-booted, slouch-hatted men in every direction across the crag-studded highlands of Idaho to shake golden grains from ancient sands with pan, hand-hewn Long Tom, and cradle rocker. Only this time the lusty miners will not be watching for black sand and golden grains, but for the white fire of diamonds and the blood-red of rubies and garnets.”
The story went on to say that a 19 ½-carat diamond worth around $10,000 (about $150,000 in today’s money, if you have any) was found. Pink garnets, quartz crystals, white sapphire, and topaz had been found in the area over the years. A “flawless ruby” had once allegedly been plucked from the old gold mining site.
The startling find was not news to one old-timer. Mrs. Ed Luzadder said, “Diamonds? Diamonds break out on Rock Flat every five years—like measles.”
The paper ended the piece by comparing the diamond rumors to the sightings of the local lake monster, which was at that time yet to be named.
The diamond story warranted one more appearance in the Statesman. On March 2, 1947, the paper ran a story that noted, “The nearly 20-carat ‘diamond’ reported to have been found on Rock Flat near McCall, may turn out to be an exceptionally brilliant topaz instead, say Idahoans familiar with the semi-precious stones of the state.”
If, as sometimes happens, the stone turned out to be brilliant topaz, it would have been worth about $250 instead of the $10,000 a diamond might have fetched.
The Statesman presented one example of topaz, a stone often seen by many Boiseans. The Rt. Rev. Frank A. Rhea, bishop of the Episcopal Church in Idaho, wore a cross of Idaho gold with a 6 ½-carat white topaz in the center. The topaz had come from Rock Flat.
The story of the fabled rock—diamond or topaz—quickly faded. One might think that would be the end of it, but the tale provided just enough detail to keep life in the rumors about a “missing” diamond for decades. So far.
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