Long Island residents Michelle DeLucia and Jennifer DeLucia are searching for the owner of an engraved diamond they discovered lying on the floor of a Times Square restaurant in New York City before attending a Broadway show.
The couple spotted the jewel shining near the entrance of Tony DiNapoli restaurant and discovered microscopic lettering etched onto the gem, which contained a certification number that could help identify who lost it.
Michelle DeLucia noticed the sparkling stone on the ground as the pair entered the dining establishment. Upon inspecting the object closely, she recognized that it was not an ordinary stone or piece of costume jewelry, but a real diamond bearing an official inscription.
Michelle DeLucia told NBC New York that noticing the engraving confirmed the stone was a genuine diamond. She immediately turned to her wife, Jennifer DeLucia, and declared her intention to track down its rightful owner.
International Gemological Institute Certification
The etched code corresponds to records managed by the International Gemological Institute, a prominent global organization specializing in gem grading and diamond certification. NBC New York contacted the institute using the report number etched into the stone.
Representatives at the gemological institute verified the diamond's authenticity using its registry code. The organization confirmed key technical parameters from its database, including the gem's specific cut, carat weight, color grade, clarity rating, and its original date of purchase.
Laser inscription is a standard security practice in the gemstone industry, where microscopic numbers or symbols are etched onto a diamond's outer girdle. The International Gemological Institute maintains global registries of these certificate numbers to verify gem specifications and protect owners against loss or theft.
Verification Process to Protect the Owner
Although the institute verified the technical specifications of the gem, official details regarding its weight, color, and purchase history are being kept confidential. Restricting those specifics ensures that whoever steps forward to claim the jewel can prove ownership by matching exact records.
Michelle and Jennifer DeLucia decided from the moment of discovery that their sole objective was to return the jewel to its owner. Helping strangers recover lost property in Manhattan is not new to the Long Island couple.
Jennifer DeLucia recalled an earlier incident in Times Square where the couple found a lost passport belonging to a traveler visiting from New Zealand. They managed to track down the international visitor and return the travel document safely before the tourist left the city.
Sentimental Value and Contact Information
Michelle DeLucia emphasized that the market value of the diamond is secondary to its potential sentimental significance. She noted that while she does not know the owner's personal story, the stone could represent a meaningful milestone or memory that far outweighs its financial cost.
Times Square and the surrounding Manhattan theater district attract millions of visitors every year for Broadway performances and dining. The bustling pedestrian area makes lost personal items difficult to recover without public outreach and official registry tracking.
The couple is appealing for public assistance to locate the person who lost the diamond in Midtown Manhattan. Anyone with information regarding the missing gemstone is encouraged to contact NBC 4 New York investigative reporter Lynda Baquero through her official Instagram account.
