3.3-Carat Diamond Pinned Inside Donated Sweater Finds Its Way Back to Relieved Owner

Workers at the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shop in Derby, Conn., went above and beyond the call of duty to reunite a woman with the 3.3-carat loose diamond she forgot she had pinned to the inside of a donated sweater.

The store's Facebook page explained how one of the thrift shop's trusted sorters was carefully folding the grey sweater when she felt an unusual bump in the fabric. She turned the garment inside out and noticed a little black bag safety-pinned inside. She opened the bag to find another bag, and inside of that, a piece of thick blue parcel paper that is commonly used by diamond traders.

Tucked inside the folded paper was a round 3.3-carat diamond. Hand-written notes on the paper revealed the exact carat weight (3.31), clarity (VS2) and color grade (M-N). Diamonds with these characteristics typically sell for $30,000 or more.

"We were in such disbelief that this could have occurred on our sorting table," shop director Remy Kocurek told ABC affiliate WTNH.

The next task was to find the woman who had donated the sweater. They knew what she looked like, but they didn't have her name.

The thrift shop workers reviewed their security videos and were able to glean the license plate number of the woman's car. The workers sought the help of the local police department, which was able to ID the car's owner and request that she return to the store.

She complied with the police department's request, but was curious to know why she was summoned.

The rest of the story is recounted on the store's Facebook page...

"We asked her if she recalled donating the grey sweater and she said that she did. Very quickly, the color drained from her face as she realized what she had done. Collapsing into a chair, she shook her head and almost started crying. She hugged us and expressed her gratitude over and over at the return of a very valuable family heirloom. An exciting day at the best little thrift shop around!"

"It just felt wonderful to do that for her," Kocurek told WTNH.

It's still not clear why the woman had pinned an unmounted $30,000 diamond inside an old sweater. A safety deposit box may have been a better bet.

Credits: Screen captures via wtnh.com.

FIFA World Cup Trophy Is Made of 11 Pounds of 18-Karat Gold Worth $168,000

On July 15, after a full month of heart-thumping competition, the members of a single national team will emerge as champions and experience one of the ultimate thrills in professional sports — raising aloft the 18-karat gold FIFA World Cup Trophy. Four years ago in Brazil, that honor went to the soccer team from Germany. This year in Russia, 31 teams will be vying to unseat the defending champs.

The coveted trophy, which is 14.5 inches tall and depicts two human figures holding up the earth, is made of 11 pounds of 18-karat gold and features two rows of green malachite at the base. USA Today reported that the trophy is estimated to be worth $20 million, although the actual precious metal value is closer to $168,000.

For years, FIFA, the governing body of soccer, had said the trophy was made of solid gold, but that claim hasn't held up to scrutiny and it's very likely that it has a hollow center.

Martyn Poliakoff of the United Kingdom's Nottingham University did the math and determined that, based on its dimensions, a FIFA trophy made of solid gold would weigh an unwieldy 154 pounds. Gold is nearly 20 times as dense as water, and to get some perspective on just how heavy that is, consider this... A standard gold bar measures just 7 x 3 5/8 x 1 3/4 inches, but weighs more than 27 pounds.

The winning team will be taking home a gold-plated replica of the actual trophy. The real one will remain in the possession of FIFA. The bottom of the base bears the engraved year and name of each FIFA World Cup winner since 1974. The names are not visible when the cup is standing upright.

The tournament takes place every four years, and FIFA announced recently that the North American triumvirate of the U.S., Canada and Mexico will co-host the games in 2026.

For the past 88 years, there have been only two designs for the FIFA trophy. The current one was conceived by Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga and presented for the first time in 1974.

In describing his design, Gazzaniga said, “The lines spring out from the base, rising in spirals, stretching out to receive the world. From the remarkable dynamic tensions of the compact body of the sculpture rise the figures of two athletes at the stirring moment of victory.”

In 1970, the Brazilians got to keep the previous version of the trophy — the Jules Rimet Cup — when the team captured its third world title.

Rimet, the founding father of the FIFA World Cup, had stipulated 40 years earlier that any team that won three titles could have the cup permanently. FIFA made good on that promise in 1970, but in 1983 the cup was stolen in Rio de Janeiro and never seen again.

The Jules Rimet Cup, which was originally called “Coupe du Monde,” was designed by French sculptor Abel Lafleur and depicted the goddess of victory holding an octagonal vessel above her. It was 13.7 inches tall and weighed 8.4 pounds. It was made of gold-plated sterling silver, with a base of lapis lazuli.

In 1966, an earlier version of the Jules Rimet Cup was stolen from a public display in London just before the Brits were about to host the World Cup. It was discovered seven days later at the bottom of a suburban garden hedge by a clever canine named Pickles.

During World War II, the Jules Rimet Cup spent some time in a shoebox under the bed of FIFA vice president Dr. Ottorino Barassi, who feared it might fall into the hands of the Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.

Brazil currently holds the record for the most FIFA World Cup victories (5), followed by Italy and Germany with four wins each. Favored teams in the current tournament include Brazil, Germany, Spain, France, Argentina, Belgium and England.

Credits: German team celebration in 2014. Screen capture via YouTube.com. FIFA World Cup by Biser Todorov [CC BY 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons. La Coupe Jules Rimet by Español: El Grafico del 12 de Julio de 1966. Edicion 2440 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Philadelphia Eagles' First-Ever Super Bowl Rings Soar With 219 Diamonds and 17 Green Sapphires

The Philadelphia Eagles marked their historic 2017 season and epic Super Bowl triumph over the New England Patriots with championship rings emblazoned with 219 diamonds and 17 green sapphires. Each ring boasts a gemstone total weight of 9.15 carats.

The 10-karat gold rings are teeming with symbols on every surface to tell the story of an underdog team that overcame all obstacles to roll through the playoffs and eventually defeat the Tom Brady-led Patriots by a score of 41-33 in Super Bowl LII. It was the first time the Eagles raised the Vince Lombardi Trophy aloft in their 85-year history.

The top of the ring features the iconic eagle head logo rendered with 52 pavé-set diamonds to signify Super Bowl LII (52). The eagle head is set atop the Lombardi Trophy, which is, in turn, layered over a series of tapered-baguette green sapphires, fanned out in a circle. Ring manufacturer and designer Jostens noted that the rare green sapphires were specially sourced to match the official team color. The 13 sapphires represent the Eagles' 13 regular season victories, which tied a franchise record.

The top of the trophy is adorned with three diamonds, representing the number of times the Eagles were deemed underdogs, and also the number of post-season victories it took to be crowned World Champions.

A large marquise-cut diamond sits majestically at the top of the Lombardi Trophy to represent the first Super Bowl Championship in the Eagles' franchise history. Bordering the top and bottom of the top of the ring are the words “WORLD" and "CHAMPIONS” in raised white-gold lettering against a black enamel ground.

The ring's bezel is adorned with a waterfall of 127 diamonds, a number that pays tribute to one of the most exciting and memorable moments in the team's history. "The Philly Special" was a trick play that resulted in a touchdown on a fourth-down-and-goal situation at the opponent's 1-yard line. Three key Eagles were involved in the memorable play, and the number 127 is the sum of their jersey numbers — Corey Clement (30), Trey Burton (88) and Nick Foles (9).

Four round, genuine green sapphires adorn the corners of the base of the ring and symbolize the team’s four NFL Championships – three World Championships (1948, 1949, 1960) and one Super Bowl Championship (2017).

The left side of the ring prominently shows the player’s name set above an end zone view of Lincoln Financial Field, the home of the Eagles. The stadium graphic pays tribute to the passionate and dedicated fan base that has supported the team since its formation. The player’s number is studded with pavé-set diamonds and set in the middle of the rendered football field.

The right side of the ring features the score from Super Bowl LII (PHI 41 – NE 33), and one of the team’s messages of unity throughout the season, "We All We Got, We All We Need,” is set above the Super Bowl LII logo. The word “FAMILY” sits below the logo and serves as a reminder of the team’s commitment and dedication to each other.

The words from the team’s fight song, “Fly Eagles Fly” are written on the bottom of the outer band. The top of the inside arbor of the ring is inscribed with the scores from the team’s three postseason victories and an image of an underdog mask, an acknowledgement of how the Eagles embraced their underdog role to galvanize the team, the fans and the entire city of Philadelphia. The bottom of the inside arbor is inscribed with each player’s signature – the first time championship rings have ever featured engraved signatures.

Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie admitted that he didn't realize the level of consideration that goes into the design of a Super Bowl ring.

“I thought, ‘You know, you just sort of come up with some ring, and you make many, and you have a party,’ Luria said in a statement. "I never really thought of the details that were required. You go through so much during a season. What are the statements that you want to make about the team, about the season, about the kinds of players and coaches that we had? It’s kind of like, how do you want to be remembered 20 years from now?”

The Eagles players and coaches received their rings during a special ceremony last week. In all, more than 400 rings were distributed to key personnel at every level of the Eagles organization.

Credit: Image courtesy of Jostens.