New York woman dug through a public mine for 21 days. Then she found something that made even the mine staff stop: ‘I thought it was dew’
The perfect engagement stone.
A New York woman’s three-week quest to dig up her own engagement diamond in an Arkansas mine is going viral all over again in May 2026, and it’s easy to see why. Micherre Fox’s story, complete with blisters, stolen shovels, and a 2.3-carat sparkler she found herself, is spreading like wildfire across Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. She last made an appearance on The Tamron Hall Show in December 2025 to talk about her experience.
According to NPR, Fox, a 31-year-old strategy consultant from New York City, didn’t just stumble into this adventure. About two years before her diamond discovery, she decided she wanted an engagement ring with a story – one that didn’t come from a jewelry store but from the earth itself. “We’re not getting engaged until I do that,” she told her boyfriend, Trevor Ballou. “They come from the ground. What is stopping us from just getting one ourselves?”
After researching her options, Fox learned that the only active public diamond mine in the world wasn’t in some far-flung corner of the globe but in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. So, after finishing grad school, she packed a tent, a shovel, and a whole lot of determination and headed south.
Fox scoured the mine for three whole weeks
For three weeks, Fox lived in that tent, digging daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with just one day off. The Arkansas summer heat was relentless, and she admits she was woefully unprepared for the physical toll. “I wouldn’t shower for several days,” she said. “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, her shovel was stolen at one point, forcing her to walk three hours to the nearest hardware store just to replace it. But Fox kept going, driven by the idea that the ring she wanted wasn’t just a piece of jewelry but a symbol of the effort and love she was willing to put into her future marriage.
Then, on July 29, her final day at the park, it happened. Fox was out in the field one last time when she spotted a glimmer near her foot. “I thought it was dew,” she said. “I pawed at it with my hiking boot, and it didn’t move.” That “dew” turned out to be a 2.3-carat diamond – one of the largest found at Crater of Diamonds State Park that year.
For context, the park averages one to two diamond finds per day, but most are tiny. Only about a dozen exceed one carat annually, according to assistant park superintendent Waymon Cox. Fox’s find was a rarity, and she knew it.
The couple hasn’t had the diamond appraised
For her, the value isn’t in the dollar amount but in what the stone represents. “I was trying to find a physical object to embody the promise I want to make to my partner about who I’m going to be in a marriage,” she explained. “A person who shows up, who works really long, hard, unglamorous, sweaty, smelly hours behind the scenes at problems that may not be solvable.” In her mind, the diamond is proof that if you refuse to give up, the only option left is to keep moving forward.
Fox’s story didn’t end with the discovery. On December 5, 2025, she brought the diamond to The Tamron Hall Show, where she shared her journey with a national audience. The segment was emotional, with Fox revealing that she wanted a ring that represented not just her love for Ballou but also her own effort and determination. The diamond, she said, was the fifth largest found at the park that year and was later valued at over $30,000. For her, it was “truly priceless.”
Ballou, who joined the segment via video call from Saudi Arabia, couldn’t hide his admiration. “I was blown away,” he said, calling Fox’s commitment “unbelievable.” The studio audience erupted in applause when Fox showed off the sparkling stone, and Tamron Hall herself called the story “one of the most romantic things” she had ever featured on the show.
At one point, Fox revealed that Tamron was only the seventh person in the world to touch the diamond, a detail that underscored just how personal and unique this journey had been. In an era where everything from news cycles to social media feeds is dominated by negativity, this tale offers a refreshing contrast.
It’s a reminder that meaningful things often require effort, and that sometimes, the best rewards come from the most unexpected places. Fox’s diamond isn’t just a gem; it’s a symbol of what happens when you refuse to quit, even when the odds seem stacked against you.
(Featured image: Doug Wertman from Rogers, AR, USA)
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