A woman accidentally stumbled upon a hidden treasure worth $27,000 after kicking what she initially thought was a 'spiderweb' in an Arkansas park.
While the world is filled with stories of people unknowingly using a $1,000 meteorite as a paperweight or throwing out hard drives that contain fortunes in Bitcoin, Micherre Fox had her own unexpected stroke of luck during a visit to Arkansas.
Fox traveled 1,330 miles to the world-renowned Crater of Diamonds State Park, famous for being a hotspot for gem hunters. The park has seen multiple diamonds discovered since 1906. Fox, a recent graduate school student, was on a quest to find the perfect diamond for her engagement ring during a month-long break between finishing her studies and starting a new job.
"There's something symbolic about being able to solve problems with money, but sometimes money runs out in a marriage,” Fox shared in an Arkansas State Parks news release. “You need to be willing and able to solve those problems with hard work.”
After researching diamond hunting locations worldwide, Fox learned that Arkansas offered some of the best chances for uncovering gems. For three weeks, the 31-year-old tirelessly combed through the park's designated diamond fields.
On the final day of her hunt, Fox noticed what seemed to be a dew-covered spiderweb. On impulse, she kicked at the supposed web, and to her amazement, found exactly what she was looking for.
"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,” Fox said, recalling the moment.
Staff at the park's Diamond Discovery Center confirmed that Fox had indeed found a real diamond.
Fox was in disbelief over her incredible luck on her diamond-hunting adventure. The white, colorless diamond weighed an impressive 2.3 carats, about the size of a human canine tooth.
Fox couldn't believe her luck on her diamond-hunting expedition (Arkansas State Parks)
“I got on my knees and cried, then started laughing,” Fox remembered, overwhelmed by the discovery.
According to StoneAlgo, a diamond comparison website, the average price of a 2.3-carat diamond is approximately $27,000.
Following park tradition, Fox chose to name her gem by combining her last name with her partner’s, resulting in the Fox-Ballou Diamond. She plans to have the diamond set in her engagement ring, which her partner agreed to present only after she fulfilled her goal of finding her own diamond.
Fox’s discovery is remarkable when compared to the usual findings in the park. In 2025 alone, 366 diamonds were registered, but only 11 of them weighed more than one carat.
Since the first diamonds were discovered at Crater of Diamonds State Park in 1906, over 75,000 diamonds have been found at the site.
