A woman spent several weeks at an Arkansas state park searching for a diamond to make her own engagement ring—and finally found one on her last day.
Michelle Fox, 31, discovered a 2.3-carat white diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Pike County last month, after three weeks of looking for the perfect stone for her future ring, according to Arkansas State Parks (ASP).
Her partner had agreed to wait to propose until she found her own diamond. Fox had dreamed of doing this for about two years. After preparing for two weeks, she started her search on July 8 during 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 the best place to do it was right here in Arkansas!”
She added, “Money can solve problems, but sometimes it runs out. You need hard work to fix problems in life, too.”
For three weeks, Fox searched the 37.5-acre diamond area at Crater of Diamonds, which is one of the only places in the world where the public can hunt for diamonds in their natural volcanic source. The park follows a “finders, keepers” rule.
On July 29, while walking along the West Drain area, Fox noticed something shiny at her feet. At first, she thought it was a spiderweb, but the sparkle stayed. She realized it was a diamond. She brought it to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center and confirmed it was a 2.3-carat white diamond, about the size of a human canine tooth. It’s the third-largest diamond found in the park this year.
“I got on my knees and cried, then started laughing,” Fox said. She named the diamond after her and her partner’s last names: the Fox-Ballou Diamond.
“Finding a diamond takes both luck and hard work,” Fox added. “You can research and study all you want, but nothing replaces picking through dirt with your own hands. It was challenging, but worth it.”
So far in 2025, more than 366 diamonds have been registered at Crater of Diamonds, with 11 weighing more than 1 carat, according to ASP.
