'It hurts us as a family': Woman's plea to help find 100-year-old ring allegedly taken during home burglary

Anna’s* family has followed a tradition of passing down two gold wedding rings for more than 100 years.

Theresa and Michael Vinski were married the year the Titanic sank, and signified their union with two simple gold bands on their fingers.

The rings were inscribed with the other’s initials and their wedding date: 12 January, 1912.

Since then the rings were passed down on two sides: Michael’s ring followed the men of the family tree, and Theresa’s the women.

But Anna only had her great-great-grandmother’s ring for mere weeks before it was allegedly stolen from her Casey home.

“The ring survived in our family through from 1912 – 100 years – and I’m saddened by the fact that as soon as I got it into a different country, it got stolen,” she said.

The ring had been with her mother in Eastern Europe, and Anna had visited earlier this year for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

She had placed the ring on a desk in her study while she planned how to wear it.

“I had wanted to put it on a necklace, but I hadn’t gotten around to that yet,” Anna said.

“I only had it for so short a time … it makes me feel really sad that it’s gone.”

Anna said telling her mother the ring had been taken was difficult.

“She was happy my partner and I were alive and well and happy … but it hurts us as a family,” she said.

“It’s a keepsake that reminds me of my mother and it was just taken.”

Police confirmed they had received a report about the alleged theft at Anna’s home.

They said it was reported the residence was targeted on 14 July.

Following a search warrant on a Moncrieff home on 29 July, a man has been charged with the possession of stolen property in relation to this matter, as well as in relation to an alleged aggravated burglary in Ngunnawal on 13 July.

Police said some items had allegedly been recovered, but the ring was not among them.

Anna hoped someone would remember the ring and hand it to police so it could be returned to her family.

“It doesn’t make sense to me that someone would take it … it means something to me and nothing to someone else,” she said.

“It has sentimental value more than anything.”

Anyone with information about a simple gold wedding band with the inscription ”MV 12.01.1912” inside the band is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, quoting reference 7485187. Information can be provided anonymously.

* Name changed on request.

Original Article published by Claire Fenwicke on Riotact.