Man Accidentally Sells Wife's $23,000 Wedding Ring For $10 [Updated]

A woman was devastated to learn that her husband accidentally sold her $23,000 wedding ring at a garage sale for only $10.

Racquel Cloutier, 31, of Laguna Niguel, was in the hospital after giving birth to her fifth child and her husband, Eric, decided to sell some of their possessions at a community garage sale. One of the things he sold was a seemingly empty jewelry box, which a woman purchased for $10.

He had no idea that his wife's wedding ring was hidden under a cushion inside the wooden box. "He didn't know that before I went to the hospital, I put my ring in that box. I wanted the ring to be in a safe place and out of reach from my 2-year-old twins," Cloutier told ABC News.

She realized her ring, and the box it was in, was missing the day after she returned from home on June 5. When she found out he'd sold, it, "I immediately started crying," Cloutier said. "This has so much sentimental value to me. It's my wedding ring, you know. I'm really upset about it," she said while tearing up in a TV interview.

She told ABC News, "I'm trying to remain optimistic but I don't know anymore. There's a small chance whoever bought the box doesn't know the ring is in there." The box was sold to a "blonde woman" and Cloutier is hoping the woman does the right thing and returns it.

"He feels really terrible," she said of her husband's mix-up.

She is offering an unspecified reward for the ring's return. She can be contacted at racquelcloutier@gmail.com or the ring can be dropped off at the security gate of the San Joaquin Hills community, located at 27380 Aliso Niguel Road.

[UPDATE, June 14, 2:20 p.m.]
Hurrah for the kindness of strangers: Cloutier has her ring back.

ABC News reports that the woman who bought the ring (which was hidden inside a jewelry box, unbeknownst to the buyer or Cloutier's husband), gave it to her daughter and son-in-law, who found the ring inside.

Presumably they saw the story on the news of the missing $23,000 ring and did the right thing by returning it.

"Whenever you're pregnant your fingers start to swell so I thought it'd be a good idea to take it off," said Cloutier. "I don't think I'll be taking it off anytime soon."