It is a rare feat to pull a fortune out of the dirt, but that is exactly what happened to Micherre Fox. According to NPR, the 31-year-old strategy consultant from New York City spent three weeks camping out at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, with a singular goal in mind. She wanted to dig up her own diamond to serve as an ethically sourced engagement ring.
This unique site is truly a fascinating geological oddity. As Wired notes, the 37-acre search field sits atop an ancient volcano. Its last eruption, 100 million years ago, brought diamonds from deep within the Earth up to the surface. They now wait for anyone with enough patience and a garden trowel to find them. Unlike commercial mines, this state-run park allows the public to keep whatever they find, with no revenue sharing or fine print involved.
Fox decided to pursue this adventure after finishing grad school, driven by a desire to have a tangible connection to her engagement ring. She told her boyfriend, Trevor Ballou, “We’re not getting engaged until I do that,” adding, “They come from the ground. What is stopping us from just getting one ourselves?” She was determined, staying in a tent and working the field from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every single day, taking only one day off during her entire three-week trip.
Her commitment and perseverance are admirable
The reality was far from glamorous. The summer heat in Arkansas can be brutal, and the physical toll was significant. Fox admitted that she was not entirely prepared for the intensity of the manual labor required to sift through the dirt.
She even mentioned, “There were days where I wouldn’t shower for several days,” and noted that “By the time I got out I was so tired and hurt … I couldn’t muster the energy to spend 10 minutes undressing and taking a shower.” To make matters worse, she had to deal with the theft of her shovel, which forced her to trek to a hardware store just to keep going.
The field itself is regularly tilled by park staff to bring fresh material to the surface, which keeps the hope of discovery alive for the thousands of visitors who pass through each year. While the park averages one to two finds per day, most of these are small, often the size of a match head.
The odds of finding a true gem are slim, as only about a dozen diamonds exceeding one carat are found annually. Still, the allure of the hunt brings in all types of people, from casual tourists to serious hobbyists armed with wagons and sifting screens.
On July 29, 2025, the final day of her trip, Fox went out into the field one last time to see if her persistence would pay off. She spotted a faint glimmer near her foot and decided to investigate. She recalled, “I thought it was dew,” and explained, “I pawed at it with my hiking boot, and it didn’t move.”
That tiny object turned out to be a 2.3-carat diamond, which ranks as the third-largest diamond discovered at the park for the entire year. It is an incredible success story, especially considering the park has seen over 35,000 diamonds found since it opened in 1972.
For Fox, the value of the stone is not about its appraisal price or market worth. She has no plans to have it appraised, as the diamond represents a personal promise to her partner.
She wanted the stone to embody the work she intends to put into her marriage, specifically the idea of showing up and working through difficult, unglamorous, and sometimes smelly problems behind the scenes. She captured this sentiment perfectly when she said, “If you take giving up off the table, the only thing left is to keep moving.”
Whether you are looking for a massive 7.46-carat find like Julien Navas or just a handful of interesting rocks, the park remains a one-of-a-kind experience. It is a place where you can get your hands dirty, learn about geology, and perhaps walk away with a story that lasts a lifetime.
Her commitment also brings a new perspective to proposals. Instead of wanting a surprise that could be ruined or a crazy, designed piece, she and her fiancé are setting a different tone for their future. One of hard work and commitment.
Published: May 5, 2026 06:37 am