Woman discovers her garage sale ring from 30 years ago contains a $350,000 diamond

Bargain hunters have long flocked to thrift stores, scouring the shelves for branded items or designer pieces, often sharing their impressive finds online. Occasionally, these shoppers strike gold, stumbling upon a rare and valuable item. One woman, however, didn’t just dream of such a discovery—she lived it. During a car boot sale in the late 1980s, she was captivated by a box of costume jewelry, primarily for the bangles, and decided to purchase the entire lot.

Tucked among the pieces was a bold cocktail ring, which she thought was just another piece of costume jewelry, paying only $10.92 for it. It wasn’t until decades later that she learned the ring's true value—a 26.2-carat diamond worth an astounding $382,383.29 in 2017. The revelation occurred when she was cleaning, and the ring slipped from her hands, catching her attention with a surprising glimmer. A visit to a local jeweler revealed it was far too valuable for him to assess, which led her to Sotheby’s.

With a color grade of I and a clarity grade of VVS2, the diamond’s quality was undeniable. Once experts confirmed it was a genuine diamond, the tale of the "tenner diamond" quickly gained viral attention. At auction, the owner walked away with a staggering $717,338—a life-altering amount. She described the experience as "a real-life Only Fools and Horses story," referring to the classic British sitcom that aired from 1981 to 1991.

Afterward, experts sought to unravel the mystery of how such a valuable ring found its way to a car boot sale in the first place. "With an old style of cutting, an antique cushion shape, the light doesn’t reflect back as much as it would from a modern stone cutting. Cutters worked more with the natural shape of the crystal, to conserve as much weight of the crystal rather than make it as brilliant as possible," Jessica Wyndham, Head of Sales for Jewelry in Europe, explained. However, she told The Guardian, "They had been to quite a few car boot sales over the years. But they don’t have any history of collecting antiques and they don’t have any history of collecting diamonds. This is a one-off windfall, an amazing find." The woman pointed out, "The older stones have quite a bit of personality. They sparkle in a different way."

Speaking to the outlet, she described the purchase as pure "Serendipity." "A 26-carat, cushion-shaped diamond, no matter how filthy or dark that mount was, maybe that stone still speaks to people. They also bought some designer dresses for about £10. We should have all been at the car sale!” remarked the head of sales for jewelry in Europe to the BBC. The buyer later told On Demand News that it’s only natural to question the worth of something obtained for such a low price.

This article was originally published on September 12, 2024. It has since been updated.