Woman reunited with ring stolen 30 years ago after spotting it on Trade Me

Constable Alexis Gray personally returned the ring to Maureen. Photo / Supplied

A woman has been reunited with a ring after it was stolen from her home 30 years ago.

The reunion has left Auckland woman Maureen, who doesn't want her surname used, "mind blown".

"I'm quite amazed, it's a bit hard to believe," she said.

Maureen never thought she would see her amethyst ring again after it was taken from her home three decades ago during a burglary.

The ring had sentimental value and had been in the family for at least 50 years.

Photos taken more than 50 years ago show Maureen's mother-in-law wearing the ring at her husband's 21st birthday party.

Maureen was browsing Trade Me for a present for a family member when she came across the ring.

Not a regular Trade Me user, she was left stunned that she had browsed the site's jewellery section at the same time the ring's listing was active.

Maureen had since learnt that at some point after the burglary, the ring made its way to a Dunedin store, where the current owner had purchased it.

Constable Alexis Gray personally returned the ring to Maureen. Photo / Supplied

She wasn't sure how the owners would react to hearing her story and would completely understand if they didn't believe it.

But when the owner heard what had happened, he ensured the ring was returned to Maureen.

Police collected the ring from the owners in Christchurch and constables Alexis Gray and Sam Cates personally returned it to Maureen's home.

Gray said it was always nice to return people's property to them.

"It's sentimental. It was her mother-in-law's ring, it was handed down to her. She's never stopped looking for it," she said.

"To be able to bring it back, it was a pretty special day."