It was just a walk in the park for 9-year-old Matthew Smith – a walk where diamonds can just turn up along the way.

Matthew, a fourth-grader from University Park, was on his way back from summer camp when his family decided to stop by the Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro, Ark. It was a natural draw for his cousin from Connecticut, a hardcore rock collector, and his aunt wanted to make jewelry out of any diamonds she might find.

But Matthew was the one who got the lucky break.

"I was just walking along the path and I saw something shiny, so I picked it up," Matthew said.

"I told my mom, 'I think I found something.' And she says, 'Put it in your bucket ... I don't think it's a diamond.' "

His mom, Suzanne Smith, admitted she thought most diamonds were white and almost dismissed the dark, cola-colored stone her son found.

"I don't know my rocks very well, so I said, 'Oh, that's a pretty rock,' " she said.

But when Matthew got the stone examined, he learned he had stumbled upon a 2.75-carat diamond.

"We were in shock. His mouth dropped open," Mrs. Smith said.

This wasn't the first time a youngster has uncovered a diamond at the Arkansas park.

"Other young people have discovered diamonds at the park, and it's always thrilling for other visitors and the park staff when a young visitor unearths one," park Superintendent Tom Stolarz said in a written statement. "What park visitors find in the diamond search is theirs to keep."

Last year, a sixth-grader from The Colony found a 1.23-carat diamond while on a field trip to Crater of Diamonds. The value of Maggie Rasgado's uncut diamond was estimated to be $800, though the stone could be worth 10 times as much when cut.

Matthew's rough diamond hasn't been appraised, but he said someone at the park told him it could be worth about $3,000.

Matthew and his parents have some very different ideas about what to do with the diamond.

"I'm thinking I'll keep it," Matthew said. "My dad, he's a stockbroker, and he wants me to sell it and get stocks."

Mrs. Smith suggested Matthew save it for his future wife.

If Matthew does cash in on his find, he said he might spend the money on sports cards – especially Mike Modano paraphernalia.

For now, the rock rests in a small magnifying case in Matthew's room. With the help of his father, Scot, Matthew decided to name his diamond Brown-Eyed Beauty.

"It's after my mom's and my sister's eyes," Matthew explained. "They liked it."

Matthew said he didn't use any special techniques when searching.

"They say surface searching after rain is the easiest, but there hasn't been much rain this summer," Mrs. Smith said. "Some people told us, 'We've been here for three days digging.' "

Matthew grabbed his first diamond within 10 minutes. Some of his family members kept searching for six hours.

The modest surface hunter admits that his find was due to luck, not skill.

So what advice does he have for other kids searching for riches?

"Look for shiny, small objects maybe."