ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (WSVN) — A man on the hunt for treasure on a Florida beach discovered a diamond ring, and his next hunt would be for the rightful owner.
Taking part in one of his favorite hobbies, Joseph Cook was just searching for hidden treasure on a St. Augustine beach, but instead he found a diamond ring.
“Holy crap, is that real? Just the weight of it alone,” Cook said, “’cause I find a lot of rings, but that one was exceptionally heavy.”
Cellphone video recorded by Cook captured the moment he found the ring.
“Yo, look. No way, no way! Whoa! Whoa, y’all, whoa! Look at that bad boy,” he is heard saying.
Thrilled and shocked with his discovery, Cook took the ring to a local jeweler who told him the ring was worth $40,000. Cook just wanted to know if anyone could claim it.
“I’ve returned at least probably 50 rings so far this year, a lot of other stuff, but my main concern is to get it back to the people,” he said.
With no one to claim the ring, Cook posted his finding to social media. Two weeks later, he got multiple calls from an unknown Jacksonville number. It was a man claiming the ring was his wife’s engagement ring.
“He had the receipt also matching the GI certification number,” Cook said. “All those big diamonds like that are certified with a laser inscription on the side.”
A few days later, Cook met up with the owner’s husband at a nearby hotel and returned the diamond ring.
“One hundred percent, karma is real,” Cook said. “After verifying his ring, I found a diamond ring literally five minutes later. I kid you not.”
Cook said this isn’t the first time he’s found someone’s missing and hugely coveted item. He has returned $60,000 worth of items this year alone.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.