Diamond ring found in sand on Florida beach
A man was using a metal detector on a beach in St. Augustine, Florida, when he discovered a $40,000 diamond ring.
A man was searching through sand on a Florida beach when he discovered a $40,000 diamond ring buried below.
Joseph Cook was combing through the sand on Hammock Beach in St. Augustine, Florida, in October when he found a gem: a diamond ring set in platinum.
Cook posted videos to his social media, saying he was shocked at his find.
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"Look at that bad boy," he said.
"This is the biggest diamond I [have] ever found on the beach," he said.
Joseph Cook was looking for hidden gems through a metal detector in St. Augustine, Florida, when he found a $40,000 diamond ring. (Joseph Cook/SWNS)
Instead of taking it to a resale store, the 37-year-old called around at local jewelry stores to see if anyone might have lost a ring.
He then went to a jeweler — who informed him that the ring was worth $40,000.
"I just said, 'That's been sitting in my scooter for almost a week' — I couldn't believe it," he said.
Just two weeks after that, Cook began receiving phone calls from a number he didn’t recognize.
After ignoring them for some time, he decided to answer.
Cook took the diamond ring to local jewelry stores to see if anyone was alerted about a missing ring. (Joesph Cook/SWNS)
The caller?
The ring owner from Jacksonville, Florida.
"Every time I return an item, I find something better, so I'm happy I could give it back."
Cook and the owner got on a Facetime video call to see if the ring was indeed the person's lost item.
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Cook said the wife — upon seeing the ring — was elated.
"They were pretty happy. The wife was on a Facetime call, and she just said, ‘Oh my God, I can't believe it,' and then she just started crying," he said.
The $40,000 diamond ring belonged to a couple a few miles down the road. (Joesph Cook/SWNS)
Cook and the couple met three weeks after he found the ring — and he returned the beloved item to them.
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Cook said this is not the first time he has found someone’s missing and hugely coveted item.
He has returned $60,000 worth of items, he said, this year alone.
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"Karma's always good. Every time I return an item, I find something better — so I'm happy I could give it back," he said.
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