Latest news with #Fox-BallouDiamond
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Woman strikes gold? No, she finds a 2.3-carat diamond after 3-week hunt in US park
A Manhattan woman's lifetime dream of wearing a self-found engagement diamond has come true after she discovered a dazzling 2.3-carat gem herself during a trip to Arkansas. 31-year-old Micherre Fox , had been telling friends for years about her wish for something unique for her engagement especially, a diamond she could discover herself. While most of the couples opt for jewelry store displays, she imagined traveling to a natural diamond site, digging the stone herself, and having it crafted into her ring. Her partner embraced the wish, agreeing to put any proposal on hold until she could complete her mission. After completing graduate school this summer, Fox finally set aside the time to pursue it. The Journey to Arkansas Fox traveled to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, a 37-acre volcanic field, where visitors are allowed to hunt for natural diamonds and keep whatever they find. The park, famous for its 'finders keepers' policy, has produced thousands of gems since it opened to the public in 1972. Fox dedicated nearly three weeks to the search, coming each morning and combing the dusty, sunbaked ground for anything that caught the light. She worked methodically, scanning plowed rows and shallow gullies where rain often exposes hidden diamonds. Live Events The Moment of Discovery On her final day in the park, Fox was walking near an area known as the West Drain when a sudden glimmer flashed in the corner of her vision. At first, she thought it was a glint of dew on a spiderweb. But as she stooped down, the 'web' turned out to be a rough, uncut diamond, its edges sparkling in the morning sun. Park officials later confirmed it was a 2.3-carat white diamond, one of the largest diamonds found there in 2025. The find left Fox overwhelmed, laughing, crying, and amazement all at once. More Than Just a Gem She decided to call the stone the 'Fox-Ballou Diamond,' combining her last name with her partner's. The plan is to cut and polish it before setting it into her engagement ring. For Fox, the diamond's significance is less about market price and more about the journey it represents. 'You can't buy the experience of finding it,' she told her friends afterward, describing that the process of searching for weeks and not giving up felt symbolic of the work needed to build a strong marriage. The Park's Diamond-Hunting Culture Crater of Diamonds attracts treasure seekers globally. Some bring elaborate sifting equipment; others simply walk and hope for a flash of sunlight on stone by scanning the ground. Weather plays a big role diamonds are often easiest to spot after rain clears away the surface dirt. FAQs: Q1. What is the Crater of Diamonds State Park? A1. A public park in Arkansas where visitors can search for natural diamonds and keep what they discovered. Q2. Is there an entry fee for the park? A2. Yes, but it's generally modest compared to the experience provided.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Woman discovers 2.3-carat diamond at state park, plans to make it her engagement ring
Source: Good Morning America Most people shop for an engagement ring at a jewelry store. Micherre Fox went digging for hers in the dirt. The 31-year-old spent three weeks at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Pike County, Arkansas, determined to unearth a stone for her own future engagement ring, and, on the very last day of her trip, she did. As reported in a release from Arkansas State Parks (ASP), Fox stumbled upon a 2.3-carat white diamond, one of the largest found at the park this year. 'I was willing to go anywhere in the world to make that happen,' Fox said. 'I researched, and it turned out that the only place in the world to do it was right in our backyard, in Arkansas!' Source: Good Morning America Her partner had agreed to wait to propose until she found her own diamond, a quest she'd started planning two years ago. After finishing graduate school, Fox prepared for two weeks, then set off on July 8 for the park, which ASP describes as 'one of the only diamond-producing sites in the world where the public can search for diamonds in their original volcanic source.' The policy is simple: 'finders, keepers.' For three weeks, Fox scoured the 37.5-acre search area for 'shiners.' Then, on July 29, while walking through the West Drain, she noticed something glinting at her feet. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giza: Unsold Sofas Prices May Surprise You (Prices May Surprise You) Sofas | Search Ads Search Now Undo Nudging it with her boot, she initially thought it was a spiderweb, but the shine didn't fade. She picked it up and brought it to the park's Diamond Discovery Center, where staff confirmed it was a white diamond, roughly the size of a human canine tooth. 'I got on my knees and cried, then started laughing,' Fox said, adding that she named it the Fox-Ballou Diamond after her and her partner's last names. The 2.3-carat gem is the third-largest found at the park this year, ASP noted. "There's something symbolic about being able to solve problems with money, but sometimes money runs out in a marriage,' she told ASP. 'You need to be willing and able to solve those problems with hard work.' Reflecting on her find, Fox said, 'After all the research, there's luck and there's hard work. When you are literally picking up the dirt in your hands, no amount of research can do that for you; no amount of education can take you all the way. It was daunting.' So far in 2025, ASP reports that more than 366 diamonds have been registered at the park, including 11 weighing over 1 carat.
UPI
5 days ago
- UPI
Look: New York woman finds 2.3-carat gem at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds
1 of 3 | Micherre Fox found a 2.3-carat white diamond after three weeks of searching at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park. Photo courtesy of Arkansas State Parks Aug. 14 (UPI) -- A New York woman visited Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park to find a stone for her engagement ring and wound up discovering a 2.3-carat white diamond. Manhattan resident Micherre Fox, 31, said she decided about two years ago that she would find her own engagement ring diamond. "There's something symbolic about being able to solve problems with money, but sometimes money runs out in a marriage," Fox said in an Arkansas State Parks news release. "You need to be willing and able to solve those problems with hard work." Fox said her partner supported her decision and agreed to wait until she found the right stone. "I was willing to go anywhere in the world to make that happen," she said. "I researched, and it turned out that the only place in the world to do it was right in our backyard, in Arkansas!" Fox planned a three-week trip to the park that began July 8. She spent hours searching for the perfect diamond every day, but it wasn't until July 29, the last day of her visit, that she spotted something along the West Drain of the park's 37.5-acre diamond search area. The searcher said she initially thought the object was merely the sun glistening off the dew on a spider web, but when she nudged it with her boot she realized it was something solid. "Having never seen an actual diamond in my hands, I didn't know for sure, but it was the most 'diamond-y diamond' I had seen," she recalled. Fox took her find to the Diamond Discovery Center, where staff confirmed she had found a 2.3-carat white diamond, also known as a colorless diamond. "I got on my knees and cried, then started laughing," she said. Fox, who is now planning to have the stone set in her engagement ring, named her gem the Fox-Ballou Diamond, combining her partner's last name with her own. "Ms. Fox's story highlights the fact that, even when putting forth your best effort, being in the right place at the right time plays a part in finding diamonds," Crater of Diamonds State Park Assistant Superintendent Waymon Cox said. "After weeks of hard work, Ms. Fox found her diamond sitting right on top of the ground."
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
‘Most diamond-y diamond': NY woman finds 2.3 carat diamond at Arkansas park; says will use it as engagement ring
Image: Arkansas State Parks A New York woman discovered a 2.3-carat diamond at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park, which she plans to use in her engagement ring. Micherre Fox, 31, reportedly traveled from New York to Arkansas for her engagement ring, according to the Arkansas State Parks. She spent roughly a month at the Park, one of the few public diamond sites where visitors can hunt for gems themselves. "Having never seen an actual diamond in my hands, I didn't know for sure, but it was the most 'diamond-y diamond' I had seen,' Fox was quoted as saying by the park service, reported NBC News. The diamond is said to be of 2.30 carats and is colourless with a round shape. It is reportedly the third-largest diamond found in the park this year. "I was willing to go anywhere in the world to make that happen," Fox said as quoted by the state park. "I researched, and it turned out that the only place in the world to do it was right in our backyard, in Arkansas!" he added. Fox arrived at the park on July 8 and spent almost every day of her three-week visit searching for diamonds. On her last day of search, July 29, she noticed a sparkle in the park's 37.5-acre search area. Initially mistaking it for a dew-covered spiderweb, she realized the shine persisted and picked up the gem. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 3BHK Transformation Possible for ₹4.5 Lakh? HomeLane Get Quote The staff at the Diamond Discovery Center then confirmed it was a diamond. "After all the research, there's luck and there's hard work," Fox said, as per ABC News. "When you are literally picking up the dirt in your hands, no amount of research can do that for you; no amount of education can take you all the way. It was daunting!" Over 350 diamonds have been discovered at the park so far this year, including Fox's gem, which she named the Fox-Ballou Diamond after her and her partner's surname. Crater of Diamonds State Park sits atop the eroded surface of a volcanic crater, giving visitors the chance to find rocks, minerals, and gemstones, the park said, as quoted by USA Today. The largest ever diamond found at the property was in 1924, called the 'Uncle Sam,' which is part of the Smithsonian's mineral and gem collection at the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC.
6 days ago
Woman unearths 2.3-carat diamond for engagement ring in Arkansas Park
A determined woman from New York searching for the perfect stone for her engagement ring struck gold or rather, diamond with a stunning 2.3-carat find. Micherre Fox, of Manhattan, decided about two years ago she wanted to find her own diamond. In July, she traveled to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas -- the only public site in the world where visitors can search for and keep any gems they find, according to the state park. "I was willing to go anywhere in the world to make that happen," she told the state park in an interview. 'I researched, and it turned out that the only place in the world to do it was right in our backyard, in Arkansas!' Since becoming a state park in 1972, Crater of Diamonds has yielded more than 35,000 diamonds, including the record-breaking 40.23-carat Uncle Sam. Fox arrived on July 8 and spent nearly every day of her three-week trip digging for diamonds. During her final day on July 29, she spotted a glint in the park's 37.5-acre search area. At first, she thought it might be a dew-covered spiderweb, but when the shine didn't fade, she nudged it with her boot and picked it up. "Having never seen an actual diamond in my hands, I didn't know for sure, but it was the most 'diamond-y diamond' I had seen,' she recalled. Fox later rushed to the Diamond Discovery Center, where staff confirmed it was a white, colorless diamond weighing more than two carats. Overcome with emotion, she said she dropped to her knees and cried, then laughed. More than 350 diamonds have been found at the park this year, and Fox's gem, which she named the Fox-Ballou Diamond after her and her partner's last names, is the third-largest discovered there in 2025, according to the state park. Looking back, Fox said her experience at the park was all about getting her hands dirty and she also credited park staff and fellow visitors for making the trip unforgettable. "After all the research, there's luck and there's hard work,' she said. 'When you are literally picking up the dirt in your hands, no amount of research can do that for you; no amount of education can take you all the way. It was daunting!"
