Calgary woman crossing her fingers for return of sentimental rings accidentally donated to Goodwill

A Calgarian is desperate to find several precious rings, including family heirlooms, which were accidentally dropped off at a local charity.

Tarra Long says the lost pieces are valued at about $17,000 but given they are irreplaceable and sentimental  — they are priceless.

Several weeks ago, Long, a housecleaner, took her rings off at a client’s house.

When she realized she forgot them there, the single mother of two called her client and was assured her jewelry was in good hands until she returned for her next visit.

“They said they found them, put them in a Ziploc bag and they were safe there for me,” Long tells 660 NewsRadio.

But, in a terrible twist the rings are now gone — inadvertently added to some clothes taken to a local Goodwill.

“It was an honest mistake,” Long says.

There are about eight to 10 rings; some gold, some silver — all special to Long.

“It includes my grandmother’s family heirlooms, my baby rings from my children’s births, family rings from my father, my grandmother, and one ring, an engagement ring which alone is worth about $10,000,” she says. “One is a pink stone with diamonds all around, a green heart, a blue sapphire with clusters of diamonds and one diamond ring with diamonds all around the band.”

Long went to the Beacon Hill Goodwill store where the rings were taken sometime within the past two weeks. She found one of her rings, a confirmation that they made it to the store.

But, she didn’t see any others.

Doug Roxburgh, Goodwill’s director of brand integrity, says they would love to help Long track down her rings, if possible.

They’ve asked for a detailed list of the rings and any photographs.

“We’ve returned war medals and high-end jewellry and clothing in the past,” he says. “At the end of the day, donations sustain our organization and we want to make sure they are treated with the utmost respect.”

Roxburgh says there is a chance some of the rings have been purchased as they were dropped off more than two weeks ago. But, the team is hoping to locate them for Long.

“We completely understand the customer’s emotional sentiment for these items, and we’re continuing to track them down on our end,” he said. “With thousands of items donated every day (last year we received 950,000 donations and a donation can either be a shirt, a bag, or a truck load of used household goods), sometimes we are not able to track down every single item. Having said this, we will be trying.”

If a Calgarian bought the rings and returns them to Goodwill, Long says she would be ecstatic.

“Everything, ” she says when asked what the pieces mean to her, choking back tears. “I’m not materialistic but these were kind of the things I carry along with me to give me that hope and strength of having family and my ancestors with me all the time. That’s why I wear them, for luck and life and they are something sentimental to hand down to my children. There were for my sons.”