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CBS News
6 days ago
- CBS News
NYC woman finds 2.3 carat diamond in Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park
Talk about a diamond in the rough. It's a gem of a find for New Yorker who went in search of a diamond for her future engagement ring. West Village resident Micherre Fox, 31, went to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas for three weeks specifically to dig for diamonds. "So I brought my tent, and my cot, and all the mining equipment I would need," Fox said. "This was a perfect opportunity for me to make a commitment about who I want to be in a relationship." She trained intensely for two weeks, and brought mining equipment and began her search for a diamond there on July 8. "There's something symbolic about being able to solve problems with money, but sometimes money runs out in a marriage," Fox said. "You need to be willing and able to solve those problems with hard work." She toughed it out and discovered a 2.3 carat white diamond at around 11 a.m. on July 29, her last day at the park. At first, she wasn't entirely sure if she had found a diamond. "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 said. Crater of Diamonds Park is the only place in the world where the public can mine for diamonds. The one Fox found was the third largest of the 366 diamonds found there so far this year. "I got on my knees and cried, then started laughing," Fox said. Fox plans to use the diamond in her engagement ring.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Daily Mail
Tourist finds $27,000 sparkling surprise after she kicks 'spiderweb' in Arkansas park
A New York woman who kicked a 'spiderweb' at an iconic Arkansas national park had actually stumbled across a $27,000 diamond she plans to use for her engagement ring. Manhattanite Micherre Fox, 31, made the more than 1,330-mile trek from the Big Apple to Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park with one goal in mind. Fox had set out on a mission to diligently explore the park known for being rich with gems and find the perfect diamond to adorn her dream engagement ring. She decided on this frugal tactic to score a stunning ring without her and her boyfriend breaking the bank more than two years ago. 'There's something symbolic about being able to solve problems with money, but sometimes money runs out in a marriage,' Fox said in a press release. 'You need to be willing and able to solve those problems with hard work.' The recent grad-school graduate was determined to make good use of her month-long break between academia and the start of her new job. She researched locations around the world where she could go diamond hunting, thrilled to find out that the best place to search for treasures was in Arkansas. Fox eagerly packed her bags and arrived in the Bear State on July 8 to kick off her adventure. But weeks into her endeavor, she felt as if she were out of luck. She had spent three weeks searching high and low for a glimmering diamond to take home with her, but had not found what she was looking for. On the morning of July 29, her last day at the state park before she would have to return to New York City, the situation took an upward turn. Fox had spotted what she believed was a spiderweb covered in dew shining at her feet. She then kicked it with her boot in an attempt to disperse the shiny fibers, but quickly realized she had come across something far more valuable. In awe, Fox bent down and reached for the tiny glistening object - a 2.30-carat white diamond. '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 recalled in disbelief. Tightly holding on to the gemstone, Fox rushed to the Diamond Discovery Center to get her prize examined and weighed by park staff. When they confirmed it was in fact a white diamond weighing more than two carats, Fox dropped to her knees and sobbed. The news took Fox on an emotional rollercoaster, as she quickly stopped crying and started laughing. Arkansas State Parks described Fox's diamond as about the size of a human canine tooth. It has a 'a smooth, rounded shape and beautiful metallic luster,' which will look absolutely stunning on Fox's engagement ring. Fox's find was the third-largest diamond found in the Crater of Diamonds State Park this year. And according to StoneAglo estimates, a 2.3-carat diamond is worth roughly $27,100 right now. '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,' park Assistant Superintendent Waymon Cox said. 'After weeks of hard work, Ms. Fox found her diamond sitting right on top of the ground.' Fox named her cherished possession the Fox-Ballou Diamond, after her and her partner's last names. While she undoubtedly put in the effort and dedication, Fox attributed a portion of her success to sheer luck. 'When you are literally picking up the dirt in your hands, no amount of research can do that for you,' she explained. 'No amount of education can take you all the way. It was daunting!' More than 366 diamonds from the park have been registered this year so far, according to a press release. Just 11 of them have weighed more than one carat. David DeCook of Stewartville, Minnesota, found the heaviest one this year in April when he took home a stunning 3.81-carat brown diamond named the Duke Diamond. Even though they are valuable, brown diamonds are worth less than white diamonds, according to Naturally Colored. Three carats of white diamond could cost about $40,000, while the same amount of brown diamond costs about $10,000. Brown diamonds' values range from $1,000 to $5,000 per carat, according to Ouros Jewels. Based on these numbers, the Duke Diamond could be worth anywhere from $3,810 to $19,050. Since 1906, when the first diamonds were discovered in the historic region by the lands then-owner John Huddleston, more than 75,000 have been found. The largest gem ever unearthed at the park was a whopping 40.23-carat white diamond with a pink cast in 1924. It was discovered while the land was still a mining area - as it did not officially become a state park until 1972 - and was dubbed the Uncle Sam. The Uncle Sam was later cut into a 12.42-carat emerald shape, which no sits in the Smithsonian's mineral and gem collection.
Yahoo
11-08-2025
- Yahoo
Woman Finds a 2.3-Carat Diamond at a State Park. Now, She Plans to Use It for Her Own Engagement Ring
"I got on my knees and cried, then started laughing,' Micherre Fox said of her initial reaction to the lucky findNEED TO KNOW A woman traveled to an Arkansas state park and found a 2.3-carat white diamond, which she now intends to use in her engagement ring Micherre Fox discovered the diamond on July 29 while walking along the 37.5-acre diamond search area of Crater of Diamonds State Park in Pike County 'I got on my knees and cried, then started laughing," she recalledA woman set out to piece together her own engagement ring by spending several weeks at an Arkansas state park searching for a diamond, which she eventually found on her very last day there. Micherre Fox, 31, stumbled upon a 2.3-carat white diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Pike County last month, three weeks into a search for a perfect rock for her future engagement ring, according to a release from Arkansas State Parks (ASP). Fox's partner, who has been supportive of her search, agreed to wait to pop the question until she uncovered her own diamond, which she decided to start searching for about two years ago, per ASP. After two weeks of intense preparation, she officially set off on July 8 to begin her hunt while on a month-long break after finishing graduate school. '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!' "There's something symbolic about being able to solve problems with money, but sometimes money runs out in a marriage,' she added. 'You need to be willing and able to solve those problems with hard work.' While at Crater of Diamonds for three weeks, the park guest spent most days searching around for shiners — as the park is one of the "only diamond-producing sites in the world where the public can search for diamonds in their original volcanic source," per its website. The policy, according to the park, is "finders, keepers." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. So, on July 29, when Fox found something at her feet while walking along the 37.5-acre diamond search area's West Drain, she knew it was hers to keep. She ended up nudging it with her boot, and while she initially thought it might have been a spiderweb, the shine remained. Fox, who called it the most 'diamond-y diamond' she'd ever seen, brought it to the park's Diamond Discovery Center and confirmed that it was a white diamond as big as a human canine tooth. The 2.3-carat stone marks the third-largest found in the park this year, per ASP. 'I got on my knees and cried, then started laughing," Fox said, noting that she named the stone after her and her partner's last names: the Fox-Ballou Diamond. "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." More than 366 diamonds have been registered at Crater of Diamonds State Park in 2025 so far, with 11 weighing more than 1 carat, per ASP. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
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Business Standard
28-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Fireworks for July 4 safe this year, tariff talks may dim them in future
Like clockwork, Carla Johnson sends out letters every spring asking for donations to help pay for the annual Fourth of July fireworks show that draws tens of thousands of people to New Mexico's largest lake. And she has no reservations about doling out verbal reminders when she sees her patrons around town. There's too much at stake to be shy about fundraising when donations collected by Friends of Elephant Butte Lake State Park are what make the tradition possible. But even Johnson's ardent efforts as the group's fundraiser might not cut it next year if the US and China remain locked in a trade war. With nearly all of the aerial shells, paper rockets and sparkly fountains that fuel America's Fourth of July celebrations being imported from China, volunteer groups like Johnson's and cities big and small have been closely watching the negotiations. A 90-day pause on what had been massive tariffs brought some temporary relief, but industry experts acknowledge that the tiff has lit a fuse of uncertainty as the price tag for future fireworks displays could skyrocket if an agreement isn't reached. Not the first time There were similar concerns in 2019 as trade talks between the US and China dragged on. Industry groups had called on officials then to exempt fireworks from escalating tariffs. The American Pyrotechnics Association and the National Fireworks Association reignited the lobbying effort this spring, noting in letters to President Donald Trump that fireworks play a crucial role in American celebrations. The groups say the industry is made up mostly of family-owned companies that are often locked into long-term contracts that leave them unable to raise prices to offset cost surges brought on by higher tariffs. And there are few options for sourcing the more than 300 million pounds (136 million kilograms) of fireworks needed to feed demands. China produces 99 per cent of consumer fireworks and 90 per cent of professional display fireworks used in the US, according to the APA. I think overall it's the uncertainty, said Julie Heckman, the APA's executive director. Yeah, we have a 90-day pause, but are the negotiations with China going to go well? Or is it going to go sky-high again? You know, triple digits. It's very hard for a small business to plan." How it began Fireworks have their roots in China. To ward off evil spirits, people would throw bamboo stalks into a fire, causing them to pop as the air inside the hollow pockets heated up. These early firecrackers evolved into more sophisticated fireworks after the Chinese developed gunpowder in the 9th century. By the 15th century, Europe was using fireworks for religious festivals and entertainment. In 1777, they were used in Philadelphia and Boston for what were the first organised Independence Day celebrations. Now, fireworks are synonymous with the summer holiday and with ringing in the new year. Shows have become elaborately choreographed displays that are often synced to live music. In Nashville, the Music City's award-winning symphony orchestra puts its own spin on the festivities. In New York City, organisers of the Macy's show will fire off 80,000 shells, with some reaching heights of 1,000 feet (304 metres). The National Park Service promises a spectacular show on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. At Elephant Butte in southern New Mexico, they're going old school and will light the fireworks by hand. Charlie Warren, vice president of the Friends of Elephant Butte Lake State Park, said it's like spectators are getting two shows at once as the colours reflect on the water below and the loud booms reverberate off the lake. Johnson, who also serves as the group's treasurer, gets emotional describing the experience. Oh man, in my heart and sometimes out loud, I'm singing the Star-Spangled Banner. I'll sing it out loud to the top of my lungs when I watch that show," she said. It makes you proud to be in this country, and we're celebrating our freedom, and I'm going to start crying now. Don't get me started. Stocking up before the tariffs Organisers in Nashville ordered fireworks for that show over a year ago so they weren't affected by the tariffs. It was the same in one of New Mexico's largest cities, where Rio Rancho officials planned to spend a little more to go bigger and higher this year. In Oklahoma, Big Blast Fireworks supplies nonprofit groups so they can fundraise by setting up fireworks stands. The company received its first container from China in January before the tariffs hit. The second container arrived in February and was subject to a 10 per cent tariff. The third container was put on hold to avoid the highest tariffs, meaning inventory could be tight later this year if nothing changes. As a small business, we are passionate about watching our price points and intentional about passing along as much savings on to customers as possible," said Melissa Torkleson, a managing partner at Big Blast. With some orders on hold, industry experts say Chinese manufacturers throttled back production as warehouses filled up. The backup in the supply chain also has resulted in competition for shipping space aboard ocean vessels, and Heckman, the APA's director, said it will take much more than flipping a light switch to ease either situation. If the trade war drags on, she said, there are ways that show organisers can adjust and spectators might not notice. A minute or two could be shaved from a show or certain types of fireworks could be substituted with less expensive options. As for this year, Warren said the price tag for the Elephant Butte show was unchanged and he and Johnson can't wait to see spectators lining the shoreline, on the surrounding hillsides and on boats bobbing on the lake. The mission every year is to make sure that the T's are all crossed," Warren said. "Because this community would not be happy if this show didn't come off, he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Yahoo
Driver dies after car plunges into Portage Lakes
NEW FRANKLIN, Ohio (WJW) – A person has died after a vehicle was found submerged in the water near a boat launch at Portage Lakes State Park early Thursday morning, officials confirmed. According to a press release, the New Franklin Fire Department was called around 5:30 a.m. to the boat ramps at 4357 State Park Drive, where a vehicle was reported in the water. First on Fox: Browns rookie QB cited for speeding over 100 mph South Summit Water Rescue Team divers located the vehicle and recovered one individual at approximately 6:10 a.m, according to a press release. Emergency crews began resuscitation efforts. The victim died at the hospital. LOOK: Winds tip over semi, damage cemetery Their identity has not been released. A sweep of the area using sonar and dive teams confirmed there were no other victims, according to a press release. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is leading the investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
