A Dream Realized in an Unlikely Place
A 31-year-old woman from New York, Mecry Fox, has achieved one of her life’s most personal dreams. In July, she travelled to Arkansas’ famous Crater of Diamonds State Park with one goal in mind — to find the diamond for her own engagement ring. After nearly a month of patient searching, her efforts paid off. On the final day of her trip, she spotted a sparkling stone lying on the ground. It turned out to be a 2.30-carat diamond.
Park officials later confirmed it was the third-largest diamond found there this year, out of 366 discoveries so far in 2025. “I had never held a real diamond in my hands before,” Fox said. “At first, I couldn’t believe it was genuine. But it is.”
A Park Like No Other
Located in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only public diamond-bearing site in the world where visitors can search for and keep what they find. Guests are allowed to bring their own tools or rent equipment from the park. Any diamonds or gemstones they discover become their personal property.
Since 1996, more than 75,000 diamonds have been found at the site. The largest on record is a massive 40.23-carat gem, now displayed in a museum. This open-access approach attracts thousands of amateur prospectors each year from across the United States and beyond.
A Personal Promise and a Symbol of Independence
Fox’s decision to search for her engagement ring diamond began two years ago. She wanted a stone that symbolised her own effort, patience, and self-belief. Her fiancé and her parents supported the idea from the start.
Rather than purchasing a diamond from a jeweller, she committed herself to physically finding it — a process that required persistence and resilience. During her month-long stay in Arkansas, she spent hours each day combing the 37-acre search field under the summer sun.
The Moment of Discovery
On her final day, Fox noticed a glint on the ground. At first, she thought it was simply sunlight reflecting off a spider’s web. But as she moved closer, she realised the sparkle was coming from a small stone. She picked it up and immediately sensed it might be something special.
Park staff examined the find and confirmed its authenticity as a natural diamond weighing 2.30 carats. According to gemologists, such a stone could be cut and polished into a smaller but highly valuable jewel, suitable for use in fine jewellery.
Arkansas’ Diamond-Hunting History
Crater of Diamonds State Park sits atop an ancient volcanic crater that brought diamond-bearing rock to the surface millions of years ago. The first diamonds in the area were discovered in 1906, leading to decades of commercial mining before the land was preserved as a state park in 1972.
Visitors today pay a modest entry fee — currently $15 for adults — to spend the day searching the ploughed fields. Most finds are small, averaging around one-quarter of a carat. However, larger diamonds like Fox’s capture national attention and keep the park’s reputation alive.
A Unique Engagement Story
Fox now plans to have her diamond cut and set into her engagement ring. For her, the stone’s value lies not only in its rarity but also in the personal journey it represents.
“This ring will be more than jewellery,” she said. “It will be a reminder of hard work, patience, and a dream that came true.”
Her story joins a long list of remarkable finds at Crater of Diamonds — a place where perseverance, luck, and a sharp eye can still turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary one.
