My engagement ring belonged to my great grandmother. It was given to her in 1924. My great-grandparents story is one of true love. He was a struggling inventor and she was a French model. They met in NYC. She was Catholic and he was not. She left her country, faith and family to be with him. They loved each other deeply until her death. 

My grandmother wore her mother's ring (along with her own) my whole life. Since I was a little girl she would point to that ring and tell me it would be mine one day. I used to tease her as I got older. I would take her hand and ask if she was still taking good care of my ring. She would give me a sour face and then we would giggle. I was so close to her. Even though I had been married before, she never gave me that ring, and I never asked for it. As she was in the nursing home, before she died and DH and I would go visit she would always tell me that he was the right one, she loved his smile. She gave that ring to him so that we could get married with it. 

Fast forward to Early March of this year, I went into Zale's for my wedding band inspection and had them clean both rings. They saw that I had lost the tip of one of the prongs, asked if I would like it repaired, I say sure, send it off and thought I would have it back in a couple of weeks.

Well- COVID. Yep. My ring is gone. They launched a special investigator for the last month, they have no sign of it. It is gone. I called the store about 3X a week since they re-opened and finally yesterday I was told to come in. 

I cried... Like a lot. The poor manager was crying with me. She felt so bad, it wasn't her fault at all. I was never mean to them when I called and she thanked me over and over again. She got approval to let me get a new ring. She pulled out this giant book of custom designs and I actually found one that is "vintage" style and pretty close to the filigree pattern that was on mine, and it was the platinum like mine was. The I picked diamond the same size and is one of their best cut and clarity- so that is good. I feel like she did the best she could under the circumstances. I have been promised by corporate that if it is ever found, it will still be returned to me but I am fairly certain that it is gone forever. Hopefully I will have my new ring in a few weeks. 

It is just one more horrible thing to chalk up to 2020, I swear. This has just been a horrible year.