A woman has described her frantic three-day search to find three missing rings. Lucy Brock, 36, was heartbroken when her silver diamond engagement ring, 21st birthday white and gold twisted band ring, and vintage gold with two diamonds ring – inherited by her late gran – slipped off and were seemingly lost.
The “irreplaceable” jewellery fell from Lucy’s lap, where they’d been placed while she put on hand cream, as she sprung out of the car to pick up her mum for their first wedding dress appointment in Stockport. Lucy searched the area, reported the missing rings to police, posted a £500 reward appeal on Facebook and put up a sign in her mum’s living room window – and it was this sign that proved to be a winner.
The vet feared she would never see the precious jewellery again. But, just three days later while she was working, she received a call from her mum. Lucy told the Manchester Evening News: “I burst into tears at work when mum rang me to tell me they’d been handed in.
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“I was convinced they had been stolen and was in utter disbelief to begin with. All three of them had been turned in and it made me so emotional and truly overjoyed.
“I was beyond delighted to get them back and to see them myself. It stores a little bit of faith in humanity and I told my mum: ‘Angels do exist’.”
© Lucy Brock Silver diamond engagement ring, white and gold twisted band ring, and vintage gold with two diamonds ring
Carmel Serridge, 63, had been walking her dog and looking down to avoid the bright sunlight when she saw something glistening on the curb.
She said: “I saw the rings and picked them up out of the road, but it wasn’t until I got home I realised these were valuable and clearly important. I hesitated to reach out on Facebook or knock on doors – people are quick on their feet to claim and I was worried they wouldn’t be returned to the right owner.
“It wasn’t until a few days later that I saw a big sign outside a residence asking for the rings that I rushed home to return them. I was relieved it was me that picked them up – I’m aware other people may have not returned them.”
Fiancé Kieran Geoghegam, 37, had proposed to Lucy on a Peak District holiday in August, and chose the ring himself.
Lucy said: “I was devastated to lose them – it’s the sentimental value and you think is this really happening? There’s so much emotion linked to my engagement ring – even if we had made them again, it’s not the same ring.”
She realised the rings had disappeared as she headed to her wedding appointment. However, despite only a few minutes gap between the incident and recognition of what had happened, Lucy and her mother, Margaret Brock, spent hours searching for the three rings on the pavement, street and in the car, but came up empty-handed.
Margaret said: “We drove for only a minute, having spent less than five minutes in my house when Lucy screamed ‘my rings’. We did a three-point turn back to the street but there were no signs of any of the three rings.
“It was remarkable that within five minutes they were gone. There was nothing else we could do. It was a horrendous thing to happen and it felt the day conspired against us.
“The streets had been recently swept and the sunshine meant the diamonds would glint. We were terrified they had been stolen by a passer-by. Everybody’s engagement ring is important to them.”
The couple waited anxiously for days to hopefully hear the rings had been handed to the local authorities or to find an online post asking to identify the owners. It wasn’t until later in the week that Kieran suggested putting a sign outside Margaret’s house – for the small possibility it would draw attention to somebody who had them.
© Lucy Brock Kieran Geoghegam, 37 proposed to Lucy Brock, 36, at Losehill Pike next to Mam Tor
Margaret could not believe she received a knock at her door and a lady held out the three rings to her. She said: “The doorbell rang and I looked through the window to Carmel standing and pointing to her palm and saying she had the three rings, holding up a little blue velvet pouch. I really didn’t dare believe it could be true.
“I was so happy but knew Lucy would be ecstatic. I hugged Carmel and thanked her profusely. I told her Lucy was at work but would want to meet her and thank her in person.”
Carmel visited Lucy’s vets to book in her dog’s grooming appointment and dropped off a special little box for Lucy to keep her rings safe.
“She came into work a few days later and made me a ring box. It takes a really special kind of person to go that extra mile. Not only did she return the rings but she refused my mum’s reward offered, and made me a gift.”
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