Wanted:  Lucky Owner Of $3000 Diamond

     For more than 50 years, Turner’s Jewelers in Seneca has kept customers coming back.  “My father opened the store in 1957,“ says owner Mark Turner.  In all those years, he experienced a first this month.  “We’ve never had someone not claim a diamond,“ he says.  The mystery for Turner started at a holiday fundraiser for nearby Oconee Medical Center.  During the charity event, organizers held a “Diamond Dip.“  Participants pay $25 for a chance to dig through a bowl of gems, and pick one.  The bowl is full of cubic zirconium’s and one real diamond.  “It was a little over half a carat, and worth about $3000,“ says Turner. 

     Hundreds put up cash for the cause, for a chance to pick the lucky diamond.  One by one, Turner and his staff used an electronic tester to see whether the stone was real or fake.  “One by one, we had people come up,“ he says.  “It would beep and tell us it wasn’t a diamond!“  At the end of the night, there were no lucky winners, and just one problem.  “We went through the bowl twice.  The diamond wasn’t there.“  Turner says that means someone has the stone, and doesn’t even know its worth.  They’ve looked for the missing diamond owner for weeks, with no luck.  “We’ve had three or four people come in since then, but no takers yet. 

     He’s hoping the mystery will be solved soon, so they know the rare find has a happy home, and even happier owner.  “Maybe it’ll make a good surprise for someone,“ he says.

     If you think you have the diamond, stop by Turner’s Jewelers in Seneca to get it tested.  You can also call the store at (864) 882-5414.