Bexhill woman finds missing wedding ring on Facebook after five years

Lizzy Green had given up hope of finding the distinctive, bespoke ring until she spotted it for sale on Facebook Marketplace over the weekend.

Following some detective work, Lizzy and husband Mark discovered the seller lived just a short distance away from their home in Parkhurst Close, Bexhill.

There is no suggestion that the Facebook seller took the ring or knew of its background.

But despite passing on the seller’s name and address to police, Lizzy said that initially officers told the couple they would not get involved because the ring was reported missing rather than stolen.

Lizzy had taken the ring off for work and put it in her pocket. She later discovered it was gone.

Lizzy suspected the ring had been stolen, but unable to find any concrete proof, she was forced to report the ring as missing in order to get a reference number to claim on insurance.

She said: “I was absolutely gutted.

“The police said no one had handed it in and I could not prove that it had been taken, so I told the police I must have lost it instead as there was nothing they could do without proof.”

Lizzy added: “When it first went missing, I went round all the pawnbrokers to make sure they had not tried to sell it anywhere. But nowhere had been offered it.”

Lizzy designed the ring herself and the couple had it specially made by a jeweller in Hastings, 15 years ago. The white gold band is set with two sapphire hearts and one ruby heart, with ‘forever yours’ inscribed on the outside of the ring.

After five years, Lizzy had given the precious item up for lost.

She said: “I was scrolling through Facebook Marketplace and I was just looking for jewellery and it just popped up.”

“I was surprised because after five years of not having it you think you are never going to see it again. So it was a bit of a shock.”

Lizzy messaged the seller and after a brief exchange she asked where the woman had got the ring from - and was promptly blocked and the ad was removed. Friends of the couple also spotted the ring for sale on a Facebook page covering the Dagenham and Barking area. Lizzy says she wants to get back in touch with the seller in an attempt to buy back the precious piece of jewellery.

She said: “I did not want to go down the police route. I would like it back.

“If she had paid out for it I would have compensated her.

“I’m still willing to come to some sort of arrangement. I just want my ring back.”

The Bexhill Observer has contacted Sussex Police for comment.