Jewellery donation still a mystery

It's still a mission trying to discover who dropped in the $16,000 worth of jewellery to Zest the Charity Shop in Victoria Avenue.

Only phone calls had come through so far enquiring about the jewellery that could have been dropped off by mistake.

Shop manager Michelle Wilson said no one had called in.

"There have only been phone calls from people who had had jewellery stolen.

"But none of their descriptions fitted the jewellery we had had handed in."

One woman from Auckland called Mrs Wilson and said she had hidden some jewellery in her boot once and forgotten it was there.

"Then I gave the pair of boots to the mission shop.But I never got it back," she said.

Mrs Wilson said initially a woman had dropped a parcel of stuff in and told staff it was "a donation for the mission".

"When we opened it one of the staff immediately knew it was valuable," said Mrs Wilson.

She didn't think the donation was deliberate, given the way the jewellery was packaged.

Three experts have examined the jewellery and agreed on the estimated value of $16,000.

"I would know the woman again if she came in, I think," said Mrs Wilson.

"So there's either been a huge mistake or someone has really donated," she said.

The jewellery has been moved to a safe place and is not on the premises.

If anyone thinks the jewellery is theirs, go to the shop and you will need to identify the goods and give details of when they were dropped off.