I am so sorry to hear you lost something so valuable to you. Tim gave me diamond earrings for my 30th birthday and up until he gave me my engagement ring they were one of the nicest pieces of jewelry I had ever received. After a day of traveling on the metro all around DC, I discovered one of the earrings had fallen out. I can totally relate to crying and crawling around on the floor searching. I will send good wishes to you that you find it.

Don't feel bad. I lost my great great great grandmothers ring at the beach.I'm so angry at myself.

I am sorry for your loss. I myself am going through this heartache. My grandmother passed away in 1996. She and I were very close and when when she passed away, she left me her diamond earrings she had gotten as a wedding gift. They were beautiful. And I wore them religiously. Which I know, is horrible. I remember when I was graduating college, I was late to my own graduation because I had forgotten to put them on that morning and insisted I had to have them, because she had to be there with me in some form. Anyway, I had not worn them for almost a month. One of the screw backs had become stripped and needed to be replaced. I had a dinner function so I was out picking out a dress at a local store. I found a pair of cheap but nice studs to wear since mine were not in any do condition to wear. I remember looking in the mirror with one of the new ones in one ear, and my one grandmother's in the other. I remember regretting I was not able to wear hers. About a week goes by and I think nothing of it. Until I realize I haven't seen them. As I search my house, I become frantic. Desperately searching for them. I'm praying they are here somewhere. But honestly, I think they are gone. I am not sure if I put them in the box that the cheap ones came in. But it seems to be the only thing I can think of. And that box is no where to be found. I'm not sure if my oldest daughter happened to see it and throw it away, thinking I was wearing the cheap earrings and the box was no longer useful. I have no idea. My heart is breaking and I just can't seem to forgive myself.

The other day I found this incredible vest pocket guide-book of Chicago (which is where my family has lived for over 100 years) in a desk at my grandmothers house. It is the coolest thing i have ever seen and I was gonna keep it forever because I am only 13. I lost it today and I can never get it back. I feel so sick. I cant stop crying and nobody knows I took it and I just want to die.

I don't even know you guys and I feel sad for us and you guys are like 20 years older than me.

On my birthday this year, I lost a ring that my parents gave each adopted son when we graduated high school. I am 64 now. This is very painful. I only wore it on my birthday, Easter and Christmas. Mom was a Christian so I went to Church with my son then a family dinner at a restaurant we all enjoy. Came home without it. Even though my son said he saw it on my hand when I paid the waiter.

I am soooo sorry! Praying that you find it in your next post!!

I am so very sorry about your lost necklace. I am frantic about losing my mother in diamond ring. I cannot find it anywhere.

Thanks Ann Eberly Wetherbee. I would love nothing more to find it, but know my chances are slim to none. :-(

Oh no.... it's just so awful when you lose something like that. Rodney brought me back a camel necklace from a trip to Egypt when we first started dating and I wore it every day when I was away from him travelling, then after a full moon party in Thailand I noticed it was missing. As the party was on a beach I had no hope finding it :-( Not as valuable or as special as your diamond but still horrible to lose. Really hope it turns up for you, every so often you get lucky!! xox

I'm so sorry, Wendy! I found a loose diamond a couple of years ago in a parking lot. I notified the store and posted on Craigslist. In the 90 days the ad ran on CL, no one responded. It's a long shot, but keep an eye on the various CL cities whereit may have been lost. I loaded Craigslist Pro app and you can have it watch for keywords... It notifies me if anyone posts something that matches the qualifiers. Sorry again :(

Great tip, thanks Laura Smith-Thompson! I'll have to get this set up tonight.

That's so unfortunate, so sorry. Maybe a kind soul or shopkeeper will find it in one of the stores you were at this weekend? Here's to hoping.

I've lost so many precious items that I've come to terms with not wearing jewelry anymore. One includes a Virgin Mary necklace that was my great grandmother's. Dropped down the sink drain in college while getting ready for a shower. Checked the trap and it wasn't there :(

Another incident I'm still not over was upon moving out of the apartment mentioned above, the landlord came and threw out the rest of our stuff a few days before the end of the month because he "assumed" we left it for trash. Some of the "assumed trash" was actually very delicate items were wanted to move last, which included top of our wedding cake and a crystal vase wedding gift. I'm still furious about that one!

Aww.... I am so sorry! I lost something that has haunted me ever since...when my Mom took me to Germany when I was 12 to see her father (I only saw her father three times in his lifetime, and her mother only once) he gave me the most interesting gold ring that he just happened to find in a field while he was taking a walk. It was a gold band engraved with the astrological symbols. I loved that ring – wore it all the time – until one day while pumping gas, I looked down at my hand and it was gone. It certainly wasn’t a family heirloom that had belonged to someone in the family, but it had a ton of sentimental value. I’ve tried to make myself feel better by thinking that it was meant to belong to many different people.

Maybe you'll get lucky? I hope so! Here's a little story of hope.....

I was at work one day and I spotted a necklace in our public parking area and I picked it up and carried it around with me for a few days. It looked like a cheap piece of costume jewelry and I nearly threw it out about a dozen times. After about three days a woman came into my work and asked if anyone had found a very expensive, very sentimental necklace. Thank heavens I didn't throw it out!

To this day I think about it and wonder why I didn't throw it away.

We really hate to hear this. It's always bad when you lose anything, but especially when it was something that belonged to a family member who has since passed. We've been there too and the sad thing is, we can almost see the person asking us why we are making such a fuss over it.

It's a long shot, but have your friend check the vacuum cleaner bag the next time she runs it. You never know - little things like stones have a way of hiding in carpets and rugs. Do the same the next time you clean your car out as well just for a sanity check. We really hope you find it!

Oh I'm so sorry! I know just how you feel. Heart wrenched for you.

Oh no - I'm so sorry to hear that Wendy! I hope it turns up!

When I was little my mom lost the diamond out of her engagement ring while we were at a water park - we searched and searched for it, but it never turned up :(

On a positive note though, a year and a half or so ago Thad was on the front porch of the house we were renting brushing Phoenix. His wedding band slipped off his finger and landed somewhere in the front yard. We were both frantic and it was getting dark soon - we were worried if we didn't find it right away it would never turn up. Luckily we were able to find a neighbor who let us borrow her metal detector and found it just before the sun went down. Longest two hours of my life!

Awwwww. This is just sad. I totally know what you mean, though I haven't had the same kind of loss. Your story reminds me of a ruby glass vase that I accidentally broke. It was my mother's, and she had sentimental attachment to it since it belonged to her mother. I felt awful, and offered to replace it (since the vase is a fairly popular one that pops up at antiques stores), but she wasn't interested since it wasn't THAT particular vase.

The only piece of jewelry I've lost was a sterling silver bracelet (only worth a few dollars). I still miss having it.

The only real piece of jewelry that I'd be devastated to lose is the one I never take off, which is a Celtic knot (also in sterling). I have many fond memories from the time when I bought it. See here:

img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/sooth15/LiveJournal/Pendant.jpg

I really hope that the stone turns up. You just really never know. One of the stores you visited might find it in a few weeks from now. I remember losing an ear-cuff at work MANY years ago (which was a frequently swept woodworking place) and it turned up a few weeks later. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

<3

Awww poop. :(

Oh, I hope that the stone is yours, it has to be, how many diamonds are in your neighbor's vacuum bag?
I know it really isn't much consolation, but you wore it and enjoyed it for all those years and it brought you joy. If you had kept it locked up, it wouldn't have brought you such pleasure. That doesn't take the hurt away, but those years have to be worth something.
Oh, and I had totally forgotten that story, until you jogged my memory. Thank you!

I'm so sorry to hear about this! I know how devastating it can be to lose a sentimental item. When I was 9 my dad bought me an emerald birthstone ring. I wore it for years (even lost it once in a public pool and recovered it thanks to an intrepid diver), but one day in college I looked down to find that the stone was missing. I couldn't even begin to look for it--it could have been anywhere around campus. Like you, I wished that I had checked the setting, but that's a lesson learned for next time.

I sincerely hope that the stone your friend found in her vacuum bag is yours! That would be amazing!

I am so sorry. I lost my mothers favorite bracelet a few months after her death - it didn't help that I had been carousing around a bachelorette party at the time - what a stupid way to lose something so precious. I still think about it every once in a while.

On a brighter note, a few weeks ago I lost a diamond pendant necklace that was really the only nice jewelry I owned. Like you, I wore it daily, often touching it throughout the day. I noticed it was gone, retraced my steps - including diving to the bottom of the pool where I had swam laps that day, drank a bottle of wine, and shed a few tears. No dice. Three weeks later, I was swimming in that same pool, and holy crap! What is that? My necklace, sitting in 8 feet of water in a pool hundreds of people had swam in and that had been vacuumed that day! I had given up hope, and somehow it found me again. It's a long shot, but maybe yours will find its way back to you as well. And, if not, as you said, you gave it a lot of good years and good times and you still have the memories.

Maybe this story will give you hope...
When my cousin was young, his father gave him a gold and onyx ring with a K on it (father was Ken, son Kevin). Being a young boy, the ring got lost while playing outside at my mothers house, on the waterfront. We assumed it was lost forever in the lake, as the waves quickly bury small objects.
Over ten years later, my mother was gardening, digging a new bed close to the shoreline, and digs up something shiney... The ring!!! We have no idea how it got into the dirt in an undug bed, but there it was...
Maybe your stone will turn up in the unlikeliest of place...

With any luck- the one in the nieghbour's vacuum is the missing stone, but in case it isn't, if you still had the rest of the stones, what about putting another of them in that setting? It isn't the ideal situation, but you could still have a family stone.

Wendy, how awful. I know you must be heartbroken.

I've had a couple of those moments; one with a good outcome. When I was in junior high, my dad went on a business trip to DC and brought me back a little sterling silver cross from the National Cathedral. I wore it constantly all through 8th and 9th grade, then one day, it was gone; evidently the chain had snapped. Five years later, my dad was running some new duct work in my old bedroom (I was in college by this time) in anticipation of us hosting an exchange student and he found my cross stuck behind a loose piece of baseboard by my closet when he was cleaning up from the initial demo. He said he saw a glint just before the vacumn hit it and for some reason, he stopped to investigate.

As far as we could figure out at the time, I must have snapped the chain while taking a shirt or sweater off, the cross fell down the wall and wedged into the baseboard. I bought a new (sturdier) chain and still have my cross today. Wore it yesterday, in fact.

BTW, I have the jeweler always do sodered links between my necklace and charm, and put on the heavier clasps. Those are really the more vulnerable parts of a necklace.

This is so weird, my first blog post ever and it's about a stolen family heirloom. When my mother was 16 she dropped out of school to take care of her sick mother and young brothers and sisters. Things were tight, but by the time she was 22 she had saved enough to buy something nice for herself for the first time. She bought a very substancial gold ring with her initials, which many yeras later she gave to her mother, my grandmother!
My grandmother died when I was a teen and away at boarding school. When I came home my family had said that she left me the gold ring right before her passing. I've had that peice of jewelery for over 12 years and it has been with my family for 47 years. Two months ago it was stolen from under my nose by a family 'friend'. I had just gotten married and so I was not wearing the ring anymore. It took 7 weeks for me to realize that it had been stolen. The only opportunity for it to be taken out of the house had been when this family friend was at my house, who by the way has a long history of theft. I don't know why I didnt lock up my valuables when she was around, but there you go. I am totally heart broken that this pricelss ring has been robbed off me and probably sold for a some measly dollars. I have no proof she took it, just her own background and the fact that barely anyone else has been in my house near my bedroom since we moved in (except her).
Does anyone have any ideas about what i should do? Much like the story at the top, this feels like the loss of a family member and a piece of history. Also, two months is too long to even walk around pawn shops by her house trying to see if it ended up there. Any ideas? How can a person get over a loss like that?

Thanks for the reply!
Actually, my husnad and I went over there to talk to her and her partner, and they totally flipped out on us. There was no reasoning with anyone. I had had the same thinking as you, but it backfired! Now there's a huge problem where that is concerned, and they acted very indignant when in fact they have a reputation for taking things from people's homes.

I appreciate the support though. I look at pictures with the ring on and it breaks my heart. I know to be a lot more careful with who I trust around my things from now on. I am a magnet for people who take things and usually I get over it! But this ring was like a part of my family history.

Thanks again though!

Sam

Wendy, I can totally feel your pain. Your story and details has brought tears to my eyes because I am in a similar situation so I know exactly you how you feel and it breaks my heart. Let me share my story - sorry in advance for its length!

Several years ago (probably 10 years ago), my mother lost the diamond out of her wedding ring while we were visiting the Mall of America. As you can guess, we never found the diamond. For years, she wore the ring with no diamond because she didn't want to give up the ring, and also because she couldn't get it off her finger! :) It was a simple ring - engagement and wedding band were the same size and style. Just two beautifully simple white gold rings soldered together with a solitary diamond. She wore that with the empty prongs for years, untial about 3 years ago when she decided it was time for a new ring. She decided to first have her original wedding ring cut off of her finger before buying a new beautiful ring, which she did. After that, we all thought she just got rid of the old ring or stashed it away somewhere in a box.

However, on Christmas Eve 2009 when we were all home for Christmas (I have a sister and a brother), my sister and I received the most memorable Christmas gift ever. We each received a beautiful necklace with a poem and handwritten note from my mom about the necklace. Long story short, after my mom had her ring cut off, she had it made into 2 beautiful necklaces. She had the original ring (the engagement band and wedding band) split in half and each half put onto a silver chain. So, one necklace had the wedding band and the other had the engagement band. But, since they were both the same, the necklaces were identical. Inside each of the rings on the necklace was my sister and my respective birthstones. Ruby in mine and Aquamarine in my sister's. Wow - it was the most thoughtful and most heartfelt gift I have her received.

Like you, I wore that necklace everyday. Every single day. And, also like you, I was constantly checking it and feeling for it to make sure it was still around my neck. I loved telling people the story around my necklace. It meant the world to me. And, I was so excited to hopefully one day pass it on to a daughter of my own.

Fast forward to this past January. I was out of town at a business conference. On the day we checked out, I had packed up my things, double and triple checked the room for anything left behind, and left and checked out for good. We had a full day of meetings before leaving the hotel where we were staying. After the meetings were over, I was changing into more casual clothes for the long plane ride home and that's when I realized I didn't have my necklace around my neck. I was mystified because I always wear it, but retraced my steps and realized I never put it on that day. Not sure why I didn't, but I didn't panic because I thought that just meant I was tired, forgot to put it on and that was it. So, I was briefly relieved thinking it was just tucked away in my jewelry pouch that I keep close by me at all times when I travel (inside my purse in a very 'secret' pocket that is inside another pocket). So, anyway, I reached for the pouch and NOTHING. No pouch in my purse. I retraced my steps again and came to the conclusion that it must not have gotten packed when I left my room. That's when panic started to settle. It had been 8 hours since I checked out, but I thought even if the room had been cleaned, my jewelry HAD to be somewhere. Well, it wasn't. We didn't have much time to look either because we had to leave in a hurry to catch our plane so I couldn't even stick around the hotel to search. I was in tears the whole way home. I had an ounce of hope that I would get home and find that it was here in my jewelry box and that I hadn't taken it with me at all. But, that also proved to be false. I kept holding out hope thinking it would (and SHOULD) show up at some point at the hotel. But, after several dealings with the hotel security, police, etc. etc. it has never shown up to this day. So, whether it was lost or stolen or thrown away by someone, I will never ever know. That's what hurts so much - not knowing what even happened to it or where it is.

I cried for days and had many sleepless nights when I first lost the necklace. It has now been 6 months from the time I lost it and I still lose sleep over it sometimes....hence how I stumbled upon your story because I had a dream about it last night and couldn't sleep. So, this morning, I just googled "how to deal with losing a precious family heirloom" and stumbled upon your story. It comforts me to know that I'm not the only one dealing with something so difficult. I have blamed myself so much - why did I even take it with me on that business trip? How could I have been so careless with it? And on and on.

A few months ago, in talking with my mom, my brother, and my husband, I decided to have another necklace made to look just like it. The jeweler in my hometown still had all the details from when she helped my mom create the original necklace, so we had a new one made. Since the original ring that was the root of the necklace was so simple, it was easy for the jeweler to make something that looks just like the one I lost. After it was made I had my mother wear it for a few months and told her to just give it to me at a time when she thought was appropriate - i.e. so that it would be a surprise for me. Well, a few weeks ago, we were all in MN celebrating my grandmother's 90th birthday. On the morning of my grandma's party, I woke up to find a necklace box with a note from my mom saying "thought you might like to have this for this special weekend". I cried. It was a perfect time for me to receive it back. My next step is to have it blessed by a close family friend who is a priest.

So, while I will forever be sad about losing something so precious and nothing can ever truly replace what was lost, I now have a new necklace that is going to be and can be very sentimental to me as well. And, losing the original necklace has actually made me realize even more WHY it was so important to me in the first place. It was meaningful because it was from my mom, and it symbolized the beautiful strong marriage she and my dad still share to this day (they are going on 33 years!). So, while the necklace meant so much to me, it really was just a symbol. Does it change anything about my parents? No. I am lucky that my mother is still here with us and that she and my dad are still happy. I'm lucky that I had the chance to wear the original necklace for 3 years and lucky now to have been able to receive another beautiful piece of jewelry from my mom.

I hope this helps and again, I'm so sorry for the length of this post. I just wanted to reach out to you to let you know that you are not alone. I hope that you find comfort in my story as I have found comfort in yours.

Sincerely,
Lyndsy

A long time ago my mother gave me a necklace that my grandmother made herself, it was an open silver heart with a floating opal marble suspended by the heart, it was only about 30 years old as it was the first of her jewelry she made so it wasn't an antique but it was very important to me because not only did she make one for my mother but she made another for her self and when she died in the car accident she was wearing hers. I lost it quite awhile ago and I have no idea where it went, I wore it to bed on accident one night and, poof it was gone the next morning. Where ever it is I have no idea. I hope I can find it someday but in the mean time I have my memories of it and my grandmother!

Your post here is a fantastic memorial to your husband's grandmother complete with pictures, your sentiments around it, etc. That will live forever in Alex's and your hearts and hopefully, your mother-in-law is aware in heaven too. That said, I wonder if getting another diamond (or Swarovski chrystal) for it would be your gift to yourself, to Alex and her. Being able to wear it again, remember what it stood for and that Alex lovingly reset it for you, is the greater good. Mourning it, praying for its return, and not moving on may potentially make anyone wonder if they should have given you something that had the potential to cause you pain. I've lost a husband/soulmate and both parents now. Beautiful things connected to them are ..... beautiful, nostalgic symbols that help you remember the moment and the love. You could have lost both the setting and the gem, or your could have lost your husband or the love of your husband. "Don't worry, be happy."

I just stumbled upon this site and read your story. My heart aches for you. I do know what it feels to lose an heirloom. I lost one myself years ago. Though you may never find it (I pray some miracle happens and you do.) No one can take take your memories. It won't be the same but what about getting a replica? You can still tell your story...

Oh, Wendy, I stumbled upon your story today for the same reason you wrote it - I was looking for others stories and how they coped so I wouldn't feel so alone.

I was vacationing in Charleston this weekend - my first vacation with my boyfriend, and we were so excited. The second day, I was trying on some dresses at a little shop in the historic district, and took off the chain I wear around my neck that holds my grandmothers engagement ring, my mother's graduation opal, and the ring that my grandmother was wearing when she passed away. I remember when I set them down on my sweater telling myself mentally "do NOT forget to put these back on!". The shop was crowded and I was in a hurry to get out, and wouldn't you just know, I did indeed forget to put them back on. I walked right out of there, and the rings likely fell on the floor when I grabbed my sweater off the chair. I retraced all of my steps, called all of the shops we went to from that one forward, and posted a lost and found ad on Craigslist. I have yet to get any responses other than "sorry, but we haven't had found anything like that", but I continue to pray for a miracle.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and I'm deeply sorry for you having to go through that. It is a devastating loss that only time can heal.

Thank you for sharing this story. I have recently gone through something extremely similar. My grandfather proposed to my grandmother by cutting an amethyst stone (her birthstone) into an emerald cut necklace and ring. This was the 1920s and he paid $1,000 to have the necklace and ring cut for her.

After their wedding, she gave the necklace and ring to my mother, who put it in my hope chest (since amethyst is also my birthstone, she hoped I would wear the family jewelry on my wedding day).

When I entered my 20s, my mother let me keep the jewelry. I wore it once to a friend's wedding, and otherwise kept it safe and sound in a jewelry box in my room. I dreamed of one day wearing those stones in my wedding. Unfortunately, I lost the jewels during a move in my mid-twenties.

My grandmother has since passed away, but my mother and her siblings have not forgiven me for losing the family jewels. I have also not forgiven myself, and sometimes find myself looking at vintage jewelry sites online in hopes that I will find those jewels for sale somewhere, or at least find something similar on Etsy so I can have a replica. It is heartbreaking.

When I was 14, my parents gave me a gold chain ankle bracelet with a little diamond pendant at the end for my birthday. I wore that bracelet all the time (on my wrist). A while ago, I noticed it was missing, so I assumed it was around the house somewhere and that I just wasn't looking hard enough for it because that's what usually happens to my things. Usually if I notice a piece of jewelry is missing, I'll just glance around because it always turns up somewhere.

So a few days ago, while I was at church, this girl I know came up to me and said "I had something of yours, but I don't have it anymore". So I asked her what it was. And she said it was a gold chain bracelet. And I asked her if it had the diamond pendant at the end and she said no. But that is the only gold chain bracelet that I have. When I told he how important it was to me all she said was oops.

In case your wandering why she had it, sometimes I take my jewelry off if it's irritating me. I probably took it off to do something and set it down next to me. She probably picked it up and put it on. This always happens so I didn't think much of it. So we probably both forgot about it and she never took it off.

Anyway she said she pulled it out of her pocket while she was walking from Grand Central Station and was staring at it trying to figure out who it belonged to. Then when she finally figured it out she got a little excited and the bracelet slipped from her fingers into the sewer. She told me she looked at it and said Oh well and walked away because there was nothing she could do. I asked her why she didn't tell me right when it happened and she said she wasn't going to tell me, but later on she decided to.

It was the last valuable thing I had. My grandmother has given me 2 dolls as a child that somehow ended up destroyed and I lost my class ring when I took it off to go to the bathroom at school. So now I have nothing.

I went to the bathroom and cried for a long time. My mother happened to walk in and asked me what was wrong and I told her. The way she reacted, I don't think she even remembered giving me the bracelet. But she told me that if I value something, I can't let other people hold it because they won't take care of my stuff like I would.

I'm so desperate to get it back. I searched google to find answers. I had found news articles about people who lost things in the sewers of NYC. All they had to do was call 311 and the city had a team just for retrieving lost items from sewers. Well, when I called, I found out they didn't have the team anymore.

Since she said it didn't have the diamond pendant, I'm hoping that maybe it wasn't that one. But I've been searching everywhere and I can't find it

I found your story and it made me feel better. I'm still in the process of trying to accept that it's gone. I'm trying not to be mad at the girl because she's only 13.

I was thinking maybe I can get a replica of the bracelet and then act like none of this happened. Maybe I can do that thing where people block out unhappy memories.

My husband felt he had to pawn a rifle his grandfather gave him as a boy. It had some worth to it besides the sentimental value, but I don't know much about guns, only that the amount he received for it was less than what it was worth. Anyway, he fell behind one month on the payment, and when he finally went to pay it, they had already sold it. He is disappointed but he didn't whine. He didn't want to talk at length about it. I feel so deeply for him that I don't know what to do. I told him the last time not to pawn it anymore, but he did anyway. He knew the risk, but still. A man has to sacrifice for his family, and there are things more important, but sometimes I wish he didn't have to suffer so much over earning too low of an income. It seems like poor people can't have anything, and even what they have gets lost to them eventually. I really wish that we hadn't been in a situation where he had to do that. My heart breaks that I can't do anything about it, too. I have already promised myself to find out exactly what kind and how old it is, and if I ever find one like it I will try to purchase it to make it up to him. It won't be the same, but I will if I can.

Here's a good story for you about loosing an heirloom that might make you feel better about your situation. My father had a massive coin collection that was worth well over $100,000 when it went missing from our home my parents blamed me for taking it and have since disowned me. I didn't take it and have no way of proving this to my parents. I was looking on the internet to find a solution on how to get over the loss of an heirloom when I found your link. I have to be at work in 4 hours and am up worrying and crying about my loss. This was over 10 years ago and it still bothers me. At least it was just a diamond that you lost.

Recently lost the most precious thing ever given to me. My boyfriends mom passed when he was a baby and as he grew he received a necklace that his dad had given his mom back in their high school days. My boyfriend gave it to me our sophomore year in high school and I am now a freshman in college.while shopping at a nike outlet store my friend and I were checking each others sports bra sizes and the cheap chain I had put the necklace pendant on while the real chain was being repair snapped, sending the pendant who knows where. I went to the bathroom after searching the floor in hopes of finding it in my shirt. I lifted my shirt and that damn pendant pinged across the floor and down the floor drain... My friend and I spend hours fishing for this priceless heirloom and left without any luck we had to return home.... Sorry about your loss I have certainly been there!!

I just came across your story as I was searching for comfort myself. I just lost the diamond from my wedding ring. Just gone. It must have came loose from the setting. I'm devastated. Mostly for sentimental reasons. You see, I've had it for 13 years but prior to that it was my grandmother's from France. It was her diamond from her wedding ring of 75 years. She has since passed away. I feel like I lost her all over again. I don't even know what to do. There's nothing I can do. It could be anywhere. In the sand at the beach where we were just the day before? At the grocery store? In one of the many parking lots I was at while running errands. Sigh. So helpless. So hopeless. I also can't help but think of the value ... it was an "old miners cut" and from what I was told a very good quality. Regardless, insurance will only cover up to a measly $1000 - if that. I too had a similar thought that perhaps I will come across it one day. Thank you for sharing your story. It did help me

I lost it...my dead grandmothers ring is gone....out of everyone she picked me I've had it since I was 18 my fiance put extra diamonds in it and its gone I'm devastated heart broken

What a heartbreaking story, I am so sorry for your loss. My father passed 2 months ago and I got his watch. It was a cheap, old, gold Seiko that he had worn for several years...but it was one of the few connections I had with my father and I had planned to pass on down to my boys later on down the road. Found it missing today after going to a pro football game and have looked everywhere....nothing! It's almost like losing my dad all over again. I know it is a longshot, but I hope one day your stone turns up! That would be awesome, things like this have happened.

Wow, I came across your web site when I was looking up to see if anybody else had stories about stolen engagement/wedding rings. I KNOW my brother's wife stole my mother's engagement/wedding ring. It's a long story but she is the only one outside of me who knew where it was hidden.

I am angry and heartbroken over it, not to mention how could anybody do such a devious evil thing. She probably pawned them both.

My brother is a good guy, but he just can't see that side of his wife as being as bad as she is. I can only hope I have the opportunity and his heart is in the right place for me to one day tell him that I know she took it.

I think a part of him knows too, he just can't accept it.

My mom sold my grandmother's wedding ring and all the remaining jewerly of my grandmother's, she sold the silverware handed down to her, my father's coin collection promised to my son. She said it was not important to her and it was her's to sell. She said how ridiculous I was to be upset and hurt, that it was just a ring. I couldn't hold back the pain, as the tears purged through. I know with all my heart, she did it to hurt me. My brother piped in that it wasn't mine to have, it is "mom's" to do what she wants. My life was filled with stories of the family heirlooms that decorated our home and my grandmother and aunt's home, pieces left from generations of family. There are amazing dishes, furniture, crystal, china, silver, photos, a geneology, and the ring. The coin collection of my father's came from his serving in Korea. He showed my son his collection and gave it to him. Since my son was young and irresponsible, and we had lived with my father for last 3 years of his life, we kept it in my father's dresser. There were regular stories about pieces in the home, "This was your great, great, great grandmothers." My grandmother had her ring designed with a tie tac from her father and a diamond from her mother, and a new stone from her husband. It was so amazing of a ring. I had it resized to fit my hand and wore it for years, later placing in the safe when I was busy moving to insure it didn't get lost. My mom leaves pieces to my sister in law, my brothers, but not to me, her only daughter. I really believe my family is ill. You can imagine how this feels, it nauseating and destroyed the idea I once held of my family. I had nothing of a family....nothing.

Local Photo store threw out a oval bubble glass 115 year old photo of my Grandmother. They were supposed to scan it. Business was getting ready to move to new location and lost the framed photo. 2ft x 18inches. Go figure. Fortunately we have a 4x4 inch photo of the heirloom photo and can replicate it. Nevertheless the original framed photo preceded WWI and WWII and resided in many locations across the country over the years. It would have been nice to leave it to someone in the family. Yeah, it hurts. I am still mentally holding the original and watching my self hand it to the business owner who mishandled it. It's hard to get over the loss. I understand your pain. It's like loosing a loved one.

Sorry about your loss.

I realized today that I had lost a family heirloom ring. My mother and grandmother are both deceased. When I was going through my mothers items, I found a ring I'd never seen. I loved it. I had always said that if I could only keep one item from my family, it would be that ring. It was a diamond ring & when I had it appraised, the jeweler said the diamond was probably cut in the late 1800's. I have had the ring over 14 years & today I realized it had accidently been thrown out last week. I am heartbroken & don't know how to find peace with it. It was valued at over $12,000. I don't have insurance that will cover it, but the actual cost to me is priceless because it can never be replaced. I feel like I'm grieving the loss of mom all over again. And, I'm having a hard time forgiving myself for such a stupid mistake... I'm just sick about it.

Alex, I am in your boat. My mom's ring valued at probably over 15k is missing. I only discovered it 4 days ago after having it just over a year. I can't sleep, eat, or deal. There is more to the story as far as relationships in the family surrounding the ring. I am so devastated it feels like someone died. God Help Me. I am up now at 3 a.m. typing this and feel so physically sick and mentally sick about it. I wanted to leave it to my daughters to share. It was my most prized possession and wanted it for over 20 years when the future came when should would pass. She knew that. I am so sick. I feel like I need serious therapy to get through.

Wendy, can you please call email me? I am devastated from the loss of an heirloom. My story is tragic and I am grief stricken. I don't know how to deal. [email protected]

:( I'm so sorry! I know how you feel! My bf gave me a necklace with a diamond on it and it was his grandfather's. It was also a heirloom and the necklace broke and I made sure I put it in a safe place in my jewelry box. The necklace has been broken for months! Maybe almost a year and today I finally was like ok i will bring it to the jeweler tomorow to get it fixed and I checked the jewelry box and the necklace was there besides the diamond!! ?? ?? ?? I'm devastated and my bf is very upset! I'm so mad at myself because I can't find it. It's crazy because everything G in that jewelry box is still there the only thing missing is the diamond! :/

The same thing has happened to me this week and im reeling from it. My mum passed away 3 years ago and since the day she passed I have worn her necklace with 2 religious charms one of them vintage. Over the weekend i suddenly realised when I touched my neck that it wasnt on me. I found the chain (as thin as a hair) on the bathroom floor and the broken clasp not far from it but the two charms have gone, I have looked everywhere, in and out of the house, car, bedroom, drains.. Im devastated

Just last night I lost my wedding ring which was a 4th generation from my Husbands side of family his grate grandfather proposed to his Great Grand mother with it and it has been passed down generation to generation. When I first received the ring it fit like a glove but due to weight loss it had gotten a little loose and last night after leaving work it must have slipped off I have filed a police report and looked everywhere cars, a gravel patch behind my work, every inch of this office and nothing! I am so devastated I loved this ring.

I just returned 3 days ago from an out of state vacation. The last few days I have been unpacking and easing back into my routine. I realized yesterday that I didnt have my wedding ring on my finger. The ring was somewhat loose because of weight loss. The only time I take it off is when I'm lotioning my hands. I've looked in all the usual places, but cannot find it. I had a scary thought that perhaps I took it off while I applied lotion just before leaving the hotel to return home. I've left a message with the hotel, but so far nothing. This ring has a nearly 1 carat diamond that had belonged to my grandmother. I love that ring and have promised it to my daughter when I'm gone. I'm still hoping to find it...

So when i turned 16 last year my mom gave me my grandmothers necklace that said annamarie since i was named after her it was my 16th birthday present. I babysat one night for a family friend i took the necklace off because i didnt usually sleep with it on. So when i woke up the next morning to leave i left it on the dresser, i called the mom i was babysitting for and she said she found it and its is at her house. The few days later i go after school and she says she gave it go her niece who lives across the street from me. So im like ok ill just text her and see if she has it still. She tells me shes had it in her car for awhile and that her boyfriend must have vacuumed it up and the car wash. I was heart broken that this happened and it still breaks my heart till this day. But i have to believe that all of this happens for a reason and it sucks it happned but i can only move on.

I lost my mum's ring that she has had since she was five I feel sick and don't know what to do

Lost my lovely diamond and sapphire bracelet from my husband. Stupidly wore it when I knew the catch was iffy. Completely obsessing over finding it, even though it is virtually impossible it will ever turn up on the many busy streets of hongkong we walked along. I keep wondering why I wore it knowing how delicate it was. I keep opening up my jewelry box hoping to see it there, some sort of miracle over time and space will produce it or something insane like that. I am so depressed about it I am developing serious mental health issues. I just can't forgive myself.
I have removed all my jewelry and can't wear any anymore. It has been three weeks and I'm still crying. Thanks for letting me share my pain.

I feel your pain. In moving, my mover broke a lovely vase of mine. She offered to pay for it but what is the point? I don't think I can ever replace it, it was one of a kind, and it is not worth it. But I am sad, and begin to extrapolate the issue to my making this move at all. I am drinking wine in the middle of the afternoon. I am soooo sad. How to cope? And I haven't even moved yet--this is just the packing up! What else might get broken??? If this is an example of how she packed things. It was packed with bubble wrap, and even then it broke when she dropped the box it was in. Thanks for any advice you can supply. Apparently, I have no advice to all of you!! It wii pass, and there are many other things in life that are more crucial than this.

I already commented!

I'm so sorry for your lost, today I also found that I've lost a precious family heirloom. My mother and grandmother have never been close and have always had a somewhat strained or at least a distant relationship with my mother leaving home at 24 to move halfway across the world with my father and when they meet they often fight or bicker. Because of this distance both my mother and I feel separated to our Indian heritage and we don't have much in common with other people of the same culture. One item my other prided herself on for its cultural significance and the only gift she received from my grandmother on the day I was born are a pair of beautiful 24-carat Indian gold hoop earrings that have always been very special to us. She gave them to me to wear for the week and I've lost one somewhere in all the chaos of the day. I am deeply pained by this loss and I feel terrible for my mother and grandmother.

I just lost the ring my parents gave me when I turned 16. It was a simple gold band with diamonds and turquoise stones, and they bought it for me in Arizona when I was 2. My mom has a similar ring that her parents gave her when she turned 16, and she still wears it every day, so I was hoping to do that as well and gift my future daughter a ring when she's 16.

I was in a crowded bar talking to a friend the night I lost it, and I was kind of fiddling with the ring on my finger, twisting it around. Then all of a sudden, I felt it slip off. Even though it was dark and crowded in the room, but I didn't immediately panic, assuaged by the thought that with my phone flashlight I'd be able to find it right away. After a few minutes of looking around in vain, my friend, a couple random strangers, and I were all on our hands and knees looking for that ring. I went home without it that night, and the next day I even went back to the restaurant to look around in daylight and ask the manager if anything had been turned in. She told me that they sweep the place clean every evening, so if no one had picked it up, it's probably in the garbage.

Most things you lose are replaceable, like a jacket or a phone, but it's devastating when you lose something that is completely one of a kind. Even if I get a new ring that's similar, it won't replace the one that I lost, and it won't have the special memory with my parents attached to it.

It's difficult to justify feeling pain and crying over something that's just an object, but anyone who has lost something of sentiment knows that it's not about the value or the material. I even know that my parents are very much alive and well, and I could call them up right now if I wanted, but that doesn't change how sad I feel losing the gift they gave me on my 16th birthday.

I have other fine pieces of jewelry that are even older and have been with me longer, like the medallion from my christening and my grandmother's brooch, but for some reason they don't conjure the same emotions in me. So this thing that I lost, so carelessly, is going to sit with me awhile, and there is nothing I can really do to ease the sense of loss and frustration right now.

Reading these other stories has helped, and it's honestly been surprising and reassuring to know that I'm not the first person to have typed "How to deal with a lost piece of jewelry" in my search engine. It's also been pretty cathartic writing my story here, even knowing that nobody may read it for awhile, considering this is a blog post from almost 8 years ago. It's been difficult to express to others how heartbreaking this loss has been. My friends felt bad but only tried to get me to stop thinking about it, and my boyfriend simply said "Sorry" when I told him I lost it. To others, I just lost a ring – akin to the time I left my sunglasses on the train or when my keys fell out of my bag – but to me, that small, shiny object with a hint of turquoise was so much more than just a ring.

Hi Wendy,

Well, I live in Kuwait with my husband because he is Kuwaiti. I am a member of the American Women's League (AWL), and just this past weekend is attended one of their functions, which was a grand Thanksgiving dinner. Many members from the military attended, and overall it was a spectacular evening. However, the following morning, I discovered that the diamond had fallen out of my Grandmother's precious wedding ring. I became emotionally and physically ill because this ring was so special to me. I felt as though I had lost a body part. I am actually grieving over it at present. Moreover, it was almost a hundred years old. My only consolation is that I still have the setting. I could just kick myself though because I had not checked to make sure that the prongs and diamond were secure in over several years. I am extremely depressed right now, and nothing seems to help alleviate the pain. Anyway, I know that eventually the pain will subside, but I am heartbroken. believe me! you are definitely NOT alone!

Kind regards,

Ms. Louise Bray

Hi again Wendy,

I just wanted to add that this ring was also MY wedding, and had been wearing that precious ring for over 21 years.

Such sad stories but thanks everyone for sharing. I've lost my grandmother's engagement ring which she left me when she died. For 20 years I've worn it and have always known where it was. Then my sister came to visit-- she is a person who loses everything! Well on the same day she arrived we went to a folk festival and were having a great time. We came home and all seemed fine but later when I went to bed I realised I didn't know know where the ring was--I was wearing it on a necklace and both the necklace and the ring were gone. I searched the whole house and still can't find it. It's just so sad. I am happy Ive got the memories of the ring and of my grandmother but that ring was the only possession I have ever cared about! I hope it comes back from whatever dimention it is in one day xx

My father gave me his (deceased) mother's crucifix necklace and warned me that I'd better not lose it, and my mother warned me that If I lost it my father would be absolutely devastated as my grandmother wore it every day until she died. Today after I came home from near a hospital, I noticed that the necklace was missing around my neck. I have been searching everywhere for it and I still haven't found it. I don't know how to tell my parents that I've lost it and I am petrified.

I'm so glad to see all of these comments. I'm in the throes of trying to figure out what happened to a beloved diamond necklace, an heirloom piece that's been in my family for several generations. It was given to me by my mother, who is no longer alive. It was a European cut diamond set with sapphires on a white gold chain. Simply the most exquisite and best piece of jewelry I owned. I feel deeply that it was taken from my home by the only person who I ever showed it to and who knew where the hiding place was. I'm thinking of reaching out to her, even though it's been a couple of years... I'm becoming obsessed with trying to solve the mystery of its disappearance. It consumes me as I feel I owe it to my mother's memory to try my best to get it back. I may never see it again, but I have to try everything I can think of before I can put this loss to rest. Yes, it's totally like grieving....

I work as a CNA and don't wear rings at work. I'm not sure when I had it last but I know that I cannot find a diamond ring left to me upon my mom's passing. I'm so sad. I don't know if I misplaced it after hiding it or if my roommate who I've give a 30 day notice to stole it. I kind of don't think she stole it because I keep costume jewelry on a decorative rack and why wouldn't she have stolen that? She wouldn't know it wasn't real gold.

I have a feeling I put it in a pocket after realizing I had it on at work. I go to the laundromat so perhaps that's what happened. I'm going to check it out but don't have a good feeling about it. I'm so glad, however that I gave the 4 carat rock to my sister in law as I was terrified of losing that one. But still, this smaller one had meaning as well....ho hum.....

What I'm telling myself in order to feel better is that the "universe" or God or whatever needed for me to sacrifice something. The powers that be gave the option of health or life or something of some monetary value. The powers decided on the diamond ring which of course isn't as valuable as my health or life. That's what I always do in general when I lose something, but this one is the hardest ever.

This thread feels like confession or catharsis for all of us! I also lost a ring that belonged to my late mom—one that I always loved. It reminded me of her cool artfulness and femininity. The oval gem in such a deep royal purple hue had a slightly elevated setting (always thought of it as a beetle and loved to touch the surface). It was lost, then found with great relief, only to be lost again, the same day! Someone above said maybe the object was not meant to be ours or needed to be sacrificed. Never thought of that. It’s devastating to lose “evidence” of that person, like reliving the loss of them, as memory grows more distant. What brought me to the site today, however, was a broken ceramic cup of hers, part of a green tea ritual we had each time I returned home to visit—it feels like a cultural connection has also been broken, and of course that loss of “return.” Well, still have a few things of hers that I haven’t lost yet or given up, and am grateful for their spirit and company.

Today my 8 month pregnant girlfriend lost in the street a 120 year old beautiful hand-made brooch laden with 15 pearls that was owned by my great-great grandmother. Aside from its financial value, this is one of the few tangible items remaining of my family history. This is deeply upsetting and an irreplaceable object. It's sickening to think someone has picked this up and has no sense of the personal value of this item.

But what can you do? It's just a thing after all - so after a few hours of grief I expect this will be parked in the 'what's the worst thing you've ever done' basket and we'll move on. That's all you can do.

A few months ago my father in law lost a very substantial gold and onyx ring with a small diamond in the middle where he resides in a memory care facility. That was the only item of value he had. He refused to give it to us to hold for safe keeping and now it's gone. The facility said they looked for it but I do know that he would never take the ring off.
In hearing about my husbands dismay about it my mother gave my husband this advise. She told my husband that some things in life are meant to have a lifetime and others just a while. If it's gone it means it served it's purpose. Possibly the setting can be used to put your daughters birth stone in or one of the other colored birthstones from the ring that the diamond came from. You can wear it and then give it to her at a special time in her life. I know that this does not make the initial loss less painful but it may help you go on with a better outlook or at least make use of the special necklace and setting that your husband presented to you at your wedding.

I am sorry you lost your necklace. Our home was broken into and the thief’s stole my great great grandmothers opal ring. I get sick whenever I think about it for the past 15 years. I would do anything to get that ring back as there is only one Aunt left on that side of the sanity. Family heirlooms are so important to some people and it seems like that trait isn’t as important now as it used to be. Praying you find your necklace and that I find the ring.