After 23 Years, a Class Ring Turns Up

Stephanie Mowery only felt bad for about a second when she realized she'd be heading to her Arundel High School 25th year reunion without her class ring. 

After all, the ring had been missing since 1989.

"You think it's over, it's done, I'm never going to see it again," she said.

Then Mowery got a call this week from a detective with the Anne Arundel County Police Department. Her ring with an emerald-green stone and a Wildcat logo on the side turned up with a jewerly buyer in Severn. Inside was the inscribed name "Stephanie Chastain."

Mowery—who uses Chastain as a middle name now—went to Anne Arundel Jewlery Buyers and bought the ring back for $110.

"For being gone 23 years it's in pretty good shape," she said. 

Where the ring has been for the last two-plus decades may remain a mystery. But Mowery said she had given the ring to her high school boyfriend ("It was the thing to do back then") who later told her that he had lost it.

She and that boyfriend had a child together, but she has has not spoken to him in years. Mowery said she'd like to speak to him about the ring, but isn't even sure where to find him. 

The most important thing is that she has her ring back, just in time for the 25th class reunion on Saturday. She plans to have it hanging from her neck. 

Noel Adams, the owner of Anne Arundel Jewelry Buyers, said class rings are almost always checked by the police to see if they've been stolen, particularly if the name on the ring does not match that of the seller. It's not uncommon for class rings to eventually return to the owner, but he said this case is unique.

"This does happen from time to time," Adams said. "I've seen it happen, but this is the first time I've seen it where so much time had gone by."