For Manhattan resident Micherre Fox, that quest turned out to be a truly epic adventure. So, two years ago, she found herself on a quest of her own to uncover a diamond in the rough. This adventure recently brought her to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. This one-of-a-kind park encourages visitors to mine for gems and take home their discoveries. Since its designation as a state park in 1972, it has produced more than 35,000 diamonds!
On July 8, Fox pulled up to the park in a brightly colored van. For her three-week stay, she spent almost every single day digging for diamonds. Her determination was rewarded on July 29 after she noticed a noticeable glint in the park’s sprawling 37.5-acre search area. After having the stone verified at the Diamond Discovery Center, Fox discovered she had found a magnificent 2.3-carat diamond. She decided to call it the Fox-Ballou Diamond, after herself and her partner.
The Fox-Ballou Diamond is a notable find, as the third largest diamond found in 2025 at Crater of Diamonds. This year so far, adventurers have found over 350 of these sparkly treasures at the park. This remarkable count further cements its reputation as the world’s premier destination for gem hunters.
Reflecting on her experience, Fox acknowledged the difficulty of the hunt for diamonds. “After all the research, there’s luck and there’s hard work,” she stated. This more tactile aspect of her project was both rewarding and challenging. “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!” she added.
Having never held an actual diamond before, Fox said she wasn’t sure about her discovery at first. “I didn’t know for sure, but it was the most ‘diamond-y diamond’ I had seen,” she remarked.
