In the summer of 1888, a small but brilliant stone was found on the farm of Henry Burris near the Adair–Russell County line in Kentucky. The stone was a natural diamond — the only gem-quality diamond ever confirmed from the state.
A man walking across the Burris farm noticed the stone glittering in a cow path. He picked it up and took it to the nearby Wheat & Williams store in Montpelier. Store owner Cyrus Wheat tested it by using the stone to scratch his name into the store’s front window. The cut confirmed it was a real diamond.
The diamond weighed 0.776 carats. It was a yellowish octahedral crystal. Louisville jeweler G. A. Schultz examined it, declared it gem quality, and bought it for $20. The stone was later exhibited at the 1893 World’s Fair and eventually ended up in the Smithsonian Institution, where it remains today.
No other diamonds have been found in the area despite many searches. The exact spot of the discovery is not known, only that it was on the Burris farm roughly two miles north of the historical marker.
The Historical Marker
Kentucky Historical Marker #734 stands beside KY 55 in Russell County, about 6.5 miles west of US 127. The marker reads:
In the summer of 1888 on the farm of Henry Burris, two miles north, a brilliant stone was found. It was appraised gem quality diamond, octahedral in form, 0.776 carat by G. A. Schultz, a jeweler of Louisville, who bought it for $20. Diamond is now on display in the Smithsonian Institution. No other has been found in area although many have searched.
The marker is on public roadside right-of-way and can be viewed from the road. The farm itself is private property — do not trespass.
Location and Directions
The Kentucky Diamond Historical Marker is on KY 55, approximately 6.5 miles west of the US 127 junction, near the Adair–Russell County line. From the Jamestown / US 127 area, drive west on KY 55 for about 6.5 miles. The marker sits on the roadside. Montpelier itself is a few miles north on KY 92.
Rockhounding Near the Marker
Within about 2 miles of the marker and the original 1888 find, there are no documented public or private rockhounding sites. Adair County to the north is generally known for quartz geodes in creek and river banks (especially those cutting the Fort Payne Formation), but nearly all of this ground is private farmland that requires landowner permission. The historical marker is the only confirmed public point of interest right at the site. Broader Adair County creeks offer better geode potential if you travel a bit farther and get permission first.
