The “Jones Diamond,” also known as the “Punch Jones Diamond,” "The Grover Jones Diamond," or "The Horseshoe Diamond," was an 34.48 carat alluvial diamond found in Peterstown, West Virginia by members of the Jones family. It remains the largest alluvial diamond ever discovered in North America. For other uses, see Diamond (disambiguation). ... Peterstown is a town located in Monroe County, West Virginia. ...

Diamond Characteristics

The bluish-white diamond weighed 34.48 carats, measured 5/8 of an inch across and possessed 12 diamond-shaped faces.

History of the Diamond

The diamond was discovered by William P. “Punch” Jones and his father, Grover C. Jones, Sr. while pitching horseshoes in April 1928. Believed to be simply a piece of shiny quartz common to the area, the stone was kept in a wooden cigar box inside a tool shed for fourteen years and throughout the Great Depression. In 1942, Punch brought the stone to a geology professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VPI), now Virginia Tech, in nearby Blacksburg, Virginia. Holden, shocked at Punch’s discovery, authenticated the diamond and the diamond was sent to the Smithsonian Institution in 1964 where it remained for many years for display and safekeeping. In February of 1964, the Jones family brought the diamond back and placed it in a safe deposit box in the First Valley National Bank in Rich Creek, Virginia. In 1984, the Joneses auctioned the diamond through Sotheby’s auction house in New York. The Smithsonian Institution Building or Castle on the National Mall serves as the Institutions headquarters. ...

Jones Family

The story of the Jones Family is as interesting as the story of the "Jones Diamond." Grover C. Jones, Sr. and his wife Annie Grace Buckland Jones had seventeen children, sixteen consecutive boys and one girl.

During the New York World's Fair in 1940, the Jones family was featured there and were guests of the then President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, were introduced on National Broadcasting Company, and met the governor of New York and Mayor of New York City. Many business opportunists saw the Joneses as an incredible opportunity to reap financial benefits due to the numerical size of the family and the consecutive male births and invited Mr. Jones to tour the United States with his family, but Mr. Jones, thinking that his family was being exploited, refused to do so and returned with his family to the hometown of Peterstown, West Virginia. There have been two Worlds fairs in New York City: 1939 New York Worlds Fair ( 1939- 1940) at Flushing Meadows in Queens gave us Futurama, the Trylon, and Perisphere. ... FDR redirects here. ... The National Broadcasting Company or NBC is an American television broadcasting company based in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Largest city Albany New York City Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 27th 141,205 km² 455 km 530 km 13. ... Nickname: The Big Apple, The Capital of the World Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ...

West Virginia State Historical Marker

The text of the historical marker located in Peterstown, WV reads the following, although some of the information is outdated as Mr. and Mrs. Jones are no longer living or in possession of the diamond (see above):

An alluvial diamond weighing 34.48 carats, largest to date found in North American was discovered here in April 1928, by William P. "Punch" Jones and his father Grover C. Jones, Sr., while pitching horseshoes in the home yard of Mrs. and Mrs. Grover C. Jones. "Punch" was later killed in combat during World War II. Mr. and Mrs. Grover C. Jones still retain ownership of the diamond.

Sources

"Virginia Diamonds," Virginia Division of Mineral Resources (http://www.mme.state.va.us/Dmr/PUB/Brochures/diam.html) Sweet, P.C., 1996, Diamonds in Virginia: Virginia Division of Mineral Resources Virginia Minerals, v. 42, n. 4, p. 33-40. Charles B. Motley, Gleanings of Monroe County West Virginia History (Radford, Va: Commonwealth Press, Inc., 1973) 122-124. West Virginia Highway Markers Database (http://www.wvculture.org/History/wvmemory/hm.aspx)

For more information

http://photos.historical-markers.org/wv-monroe/196_9672 http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/3402/diamond.html