A woman who vowed to dig up her own engagement ring diamond has struck gold after unearthing a huge 2.3-carat gem on her very last day of searching.
Micherre Fox spent three weeks sifting through the dirt at Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park – the only place in the world where visitors can hunt for the precious stones and keep what they find.
The 31-year-old had been determined to source her own gem instead of buying one.
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She travelled more than 1,200 miles to the park and combed its 37.5-acre search field in the summer heat.
Just hours before she was due to leave empty-handed, Micherre spotted something sparkling on the ground.
At first, she thought it was a spiderweb glistening in the sun but when it didn’t move, she bent down and realised it was something far more valuable.
Park staff confirmed the stone was a white diamond weighing more than two carats – the third-largest discovered there this year, as reported by What’s The Jam.
“There’s something symbolic about being able to solve problems with money, but sometimes money runs out in a marriage,” said Micherre.
“You need to be willing and able to solve those problems with hard work.
“I was willing to go anywhere in the world to make that happen.
“I researched and it turned out that the only place in the world to do it was right in our backyard, in Arkansas!
“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.
“I got on my knees and cried, then started laughing.
“After all the research, there’s luck and there’s hard work.
“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!”
Micherre, who hails from Manhattan, New York, found the gem on 29 July.
It is about the size of a human canine tooth with a smooth, rounded shape and metallic shine, and tiny surface marks that hint at its journey from deep inside the Earth.
The budding bride has named it the Fox-Ballou Diamond – combining her and her partner’s surnames – and plans to have it set in her engagement ring.
The park, which has been open since 1972, has seen more than 75,000 diamonds registered since the first was discovered on the site in 1906.
This year alone, 366 have been logged – including 11 weighing more than one carat.
Legendary finds include the Uncle Sam – a whopping 40.23-carat diamond uncovered in 1924 – and the flawless Strawn-Wagner, found in 1990 and now on display at the park’s visitor centre.
Park official, assistant superintendent Waymon Cox, said: “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.
“After weeks of hard work, Ms. Fox found her diamond sitting right on top of the ground.”
