Man finds a $40,000 diamond ring at the beach: "At first, I thought it was just a coin'
A somewhat unusual, but certainly satisfying hobby is metal detecting, or rather, going in search of "treasures" using a trusty metal detector. In some countries, it is quite common to see people walking around with a metal detector, especially on the beach, where it is more likely to find some jewel or precious item lost by someone during the summer season . The subject of this story is a passionate "detectorist" who got lucky by finding a very valuable ring.
37-year-old Joseph Cook is a passionate "treasure hunter" who often films his adventures on the beach while digging up some lost, valuable object. Both on Instagram and TikTok you can see short clips where he finds something using his metal detector. Unlike the many fake accounts - which show impossible finds (probably pre-buried by the fraudster) - Joe really does find genuinely lost treasures. When he finds a valuable object, Joe always tries to trace the owner in order to return it. And he did this again after he unearthed his greatest treasure yet found: a diamond ring, worth $40,000!
The lucky find was made by Joe while scouring Hammock Beach in St Augustine (Florida, USA). In the video you can clearly hear the man's exclamations of joy and amazement at finding such a treasure! "I swear to God, this is the biggest diamond I've ever found on the beach," Joe states. After the find, Joe set about trying to find the rightful owner.
Two weeks after after the find, Joe started getting calls from a number he didn't recognize; he initially ignored the calls, but then he thought it might be the owner of the ring. The calls were from a couple from Jacksonville who claimed to have lost a valuable ring; the man's wife broke into tears when she found out that Joe had found a ring identical to hers.
After proving ownership, Joe returned the ring, adding, "I wasn't disappointed to return it." Joe has been proven to be an honest man, especially given that the ring was worth at least $40,000.
Joe added: "I have a necklace with about twenty five or thirty jewels hanging from it, and I am still looking for the owner. I believe in karma, so I'm happy to be able to give these things back to their rightful owners," he concluded.
Well said, Joe!
