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New Yorker spent weeks searching for a natural stone to turn into an engagement ring and found a rare diamond at Crater of Diamonds, a U.S. park where visitors can take home the gems discovered in the soil.
The New Yorker Micherre Fox, 31, found a 2.30-carat white diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, after spending about three weeks searching for a natural stone to use in her engagement ring.
The discovery occurred on July 29, 2025, the last day of the trip, when Fox was walking through the park’s search field and noticed a sparkle on the ground, in an area identified by staff as part of the west drainage.
According to Arkansas State Parks, the stone was approximately the size of a human canine tooth and, at the time of registration, was classified as the third largest diamond found in the park in 2025, among more than 350 stones recorded that year so far.
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The find was named the Fox-Ballou Diamond, referencing the surnames of Micherre Fox and her fiancé.
In a statement released by park authorities and reproduced by international agencies, she said she knelt, cried, and then started laughing when she realized what she had found.
Diamond for engagement ring motivated search in Arkansas
Fox, a Manhattan resident, decided to personally search for the stone she would use in the engagement ring, instead of buying a ready-made jewel in a traditional store.
The idea had been planned for about two years, according to reports released by the park.
During the trip, she spent much of July exploring the public area at Crater of Diamonds.
The park allows visitors to search for diamonds and other minerals upon payment of an entrance fee, with the rule that each person can keep what they find.
The stone appeared only on the last day of the search, when Fox saw something shiny near her feet.
Initially, she thought it might be a spider web covered in dew, but the shine remained visible after she touched the object with her boot.
After collecting the stone, the visitor took it for evaluation on site.
Park staff confirmed it was a natural white diamond, weighing 2.30 carats, officially registered as one of the largest discoveries of that period.
Crater of Diamonds allows tourists to keep found stones
The Crater of Diamonds State Park is known for offering a rare experience in the United States: any visitor can search for diamonds in a volcanic area and take home the stones they find.
The public search area covers 37.5 acres, according to official park data.
It lies on the eroded surface of an ancient volcanic crater, formed by geological processes that brought deep minerals closer to the surface.
The site is part of a formation associated with the Prairie Creek volcanic pipe, in a region historically known for the presence of diamonds.
The first documented discoveries on the property occurred in 1906, before the creation of the state park.
Since becoming a state park in 1972, the Crater of Diamonds has recorded more than 35,000 diamonds found by visitors, according to the Arkansas State Parks.
The historical count reinforces the tourist and scientific interest in the area.
Volcanic origin explains the presence of diamonds in the soil
The diamonds found in the park were formed at depth, under extreme pressure and temperature conditions.
Then, they were transported by ancient volcanic activity to the region that now comprises the park in Arkansas.
Over time, erosion exposed part of this material.
Rain, floods, and changes in the soil help reveal denser minerals, especially after storm periods, when the topsoil layer may be displaced.
For this reason, some visitors find stones on the surface without digging deeply.
Even so, park staff often advise that discovery depends on patience, observation, and also favorable natural conditions.
The ground is periodically turned to facilitate the search.
Even with this maintenance, larger diamonds are considered uncommon, as most stones recorded in the park are much smaller than the one found by Fox.
Find entered the list of great discoveries of 2025
When announced, Micherre Fox’s diamond occupied the third position among the largest finds of 2025 at the Crater of Diamonds State Park.
Subsequently, new records altered the ranking order for that year, including a 2.79-carat brown stone found in September.
This update does not diminish the relevance of the Fox-Ballou Diamond, as stones over two carats remain rare in the park.
In 2025, Arkansas State Parks itself highlighted that the year had been unusual for the number of large diamonds recorded.
The case also drew attention because the stone had a defined destination: to be part of an engagement ring.
For Fox, the search represented a way to give personal meaning to the jewel, associating the ring with the experience lived in the park.
The cutting, if done, should reduce the final weight of the gem, as is usually the case with rough diamonds.
The cutting and polishing remove part of the material to improve the stone’s brilliance, symmetry, and usability in a jewel.
Uncle Sam reinforces the history of the diamond park
The park also houses one of the most well-known stories of diamond mining in the United States.
In 1924, before the creation of the state park, the Uncle Sam diamond was found in the area, with 40.23 carats in its rough state.
The stone is considered the largest diamond ever discovered in the United States.
After being cut, it weighed 12.42 carats in an emerald shape and became part of the mineral and gem collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
This history helps explain the popularity of the Crater of Diamonds among tourists, amateur collectors, and geology enthusiasts.
The location combines recreational activity, historical preservation, and direct contact with an uncommon natural formation.
For visitors, the main rule remains simple: search, identify, and register the find in the park.
The chance of finding a large stone is low, but cases like Fox’s maintain the interest of those who traverse the field in search of a sparkle in the soil.
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