The Ring/Jewelry

[TXHOPE]

No, I've got all the NG transcripts in one big file for quick and easy searching. Nothing in there. I haven't been able to find anything Googling either.

It needs to be substantiated with a link. It's growing legs.

Ugh, where did we hear that???? I think I remember it coming from the grandfather in an interview and he said it may be her grandmothers but he wasn't sure. Maybe I'm imagining things. I'll keep looking for the link too.

I remember thinking-I guess they've been divorced for awhile and have no contact if he doesn't even know if it's her grandmothers ring for sure.

 

[Gin]

If Elizabeth herself bought the ring legally it would automatically come with an appraisal card on which it states the ring value, the size of the diamonds, a registered number for insurance purposes, the clarity of the diamonds and much more. I have such a card that came w/my ring and I will look to see what exactly it says.
If indeed she purchased the ring as oppose to carrying cash on her trip, I am confident that salesperson would remember selling such ring to a young lady and probably have it on surveillance as well.

If she received the ring as payment from someone, it is possible that she went with those person/s to have it sized since she was actually 'wearing' it upon her arrest. Most rings are bigger and need downsizing, rather than sizing up to fit her little finger.

If the ring belonged to grandma, could grandma not verify that easily?

If grandpa 'lost' the ring, I am sure he knows more about the whole hinky story.

So many questions.

Jewelry does not automatically come with any kind of an appraisal card. High end jewelry will often come with a receipt that states what the stone is and it's size, as well as (if applicable) diamond details--including quality, color, size and so on. It depends on the policy of the store, as well (I would guess) local laws if they apply.

If EJ wanted an actual appraisal, she probably would have had to pay for that, herself. (Unless she was given one as "proof" of the value by any alleged adoptive kidnappers.)

Now, about remembering, yes, I agree that a sales person would remember selling an expensive item. Sometimes folks who love and sell jewels will remember specific details about a particular stone better than they remember lots of details about the purchaser.

Another point--these aren't generally happy days at jewelry stores. Many are just getting by. They don't usually have $20,000 rings flying out multiple times a day. That's a good thing, if this turns out to be a new ring. Better chance of a sales clerk identifying it, and then looking back to see who bought it.

I agree we need to know more about grandma and grandpa.

 

[DaneBramage]

If the ring is recent, the diamond will have a microscopic registration tag laser etched into it. I don't know what year they started laser etching diamonds, but I know they have been doing that for at least 10 years.

PS the laser etch method was patented in 1984...

 

[Gin]

If the ring is recent, the diamond will have a microscopic registration tag laser etched into it. I don't know what year they started laser etching diamonds, but I know they have been doing that for at least 10 years.

It would be great if it did, but please know all diamonds don't come with a laser inscription. I have one that has one, and one that doesn't. Both were purchased in the last 4 years.

 

[fay]

Could she have come to Miami to pick the ring up somewhere? I always wondered why she went to So. Fl. Did anyone like the babysitter notice it? A ring that size is hard not to notice. There are tons of high end jewelers in Miami and here. Believe it or not, because I'm so close to Palm Beach, it is not uncommon to see 30k or better pieces of jewelry on people.

 

[NewMommy09]

I've found numerous old posts scattered around Gabe's sub-forum discussing the ring, but so far it's only speculation. So far, I haven't found any posts suggesting it was the grandmother's OR discussing a report that says it was the grandmother's.
I'll keep looking, but I haven't found a great search string yet so I'm having to weed through threads with 30+ pages looking for the four letter word - ring. UGH. Needle in a haystack.

 

[nums24]

There was a link to a video posted, I think AZ something, Logan did say it was worth about $20,000. Sorry if I am repeating something I have already posted. Look at the video and read the article by Yami under it.

Maybe this will help:

http://www.kpho.com/news/22597349/detail.html

Snipped: McQueary has already traveled to San Antonio to search for clues that his son is still alive.

He says he discovered several reasons to believe Johnson went to Texas to sell Gabriel, not kill him.

"It's looking like Elizabeth handed him off to somebody, and I don't think Elizabeth did what she said. I think she just said that to hurt me," said McQueary.

McQueary pointed to new evidence that Johnson was arrested with a ruby and diamond ring worth approximately $20,000 in her pocket. He lived with her for two years, but he had never seen it before.

"Sometimes when they give the baby away for adoption, they hand over a piece of jewelry to the mother or someone who is handing over the baby as a payment instead of money," said McQueary.

 

[TXHOPE]

I've been looking too. Can't find it. Does anyone have the link to the video of the Grandfather outside of the jail? I remember seeing an interview outside of the jail and thought he might of mentioned the ring then.

 

[TXHOPE]

Could she have come to Miami to pick the ring up somewhere? I always wondered why she went to So. Fl. Did anyone like the babysitter notice it? A ring that size is hard not to notice. There are tons of high end jewelers in Miami and here. Believe it or not, because I'm so close to Palm Beach, it is not uncommon to see 30k or better pieces of jewelry on people.

Good point! That would explain the connection to Miami but would she give up Gabriel first without payment?

 

[Boo Scout]

I've found numerous old posts scattered around Gabe's sub-forum discussing the ring, but so far it's only speculation. So far, I haven't found any posts suggesting it was the grandmother's OR discussing a report that says it was the grandmother's.
I'll keep looking, but I haven't found a great search string yet so I'm having to weed through threads with 30+ pages looking for the four letter word - ring. UGH. Needle in a haystack.

I did something similar, and I agree that I can't find anything suggesting it was the Grandmother's.

I found this one which floats the idea that it could have been her mothers:

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4698529&postcount=132"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, missing since 12-26-09 thread #13[/ame]

That was part of general discussion about origins of the ring.

Off the GM line, but interesting:

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4716871&postcount=645"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - AZ-Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, MSG 26 Dec 09 thread #15[/ame]

TXHope suggesting maybe it was a form of payment!!!

Anyway, nothing suggesting it was the Grandmothers, and no sources about the GF saying that anywhere.

 

[BeanE]

I've been looking too. Can't find it. Does anyone have the link to the video of the Grandfather outside of the jail? I remember seeing an interview outside of the jail and thought he might of mentioned the ring then.

Yesterday I linked the article on the father and brother being denied the visit when they got to the jail. Is that the one you mean?

ETA: I'll see if I can find a few more grampa interviews to watch in that time frame. It should be on or after Jan 14 when she called him and asked him to pick up the ring and the $300.

 

[TXHOPE]

Yesterday I linked the article on the father and brother being denied the visit when they got to the jail. Is that the one you mean?

ETA: I'll see if I can find a few more grampa interviews to watch in that time frame. It should be on or after Jan 14 when she called him and asked him to pick up the ring and the $300.

It was the 2nd visit when he was able to talk to her, without the brother.

 

[artsy1]

If the ring is recent, the diamond will have a microscopic registration tag laser etched into it. I don't know what year they started laser etching diamonds, but I know they have been doing that for at least 10 years.

PS the laser etch method was patented in 1984...

I know the documentaries I have seen about "blood diamonds" have talked about putting identification markings on larger stones so that there is record that they have been "legally" imported.

As for the ring being ruby and diamond, and ruby being EJ's birthstone, IMHO, it seems plausable to tie it to TPS from the standpoint that she probably knew when EJ's birthday was, and making the ring so personal, that she would still, in a way, have control over EJ, even if EJ had disappeared. And, based on the previous postings in another thread, that JS was selling stuff in TN on craigslist in late November, my personal opinion since I read the posts that someone else had linked is that the Ss had been trying to raise some fast cash. (Perhaps to buy a ring before EJ left so they could get it to whoever would meet up with EJ in SA?)

Just my two cents.... :twocents:

 

[artsy1]

Oh, and if the ring just happened to be the one that sold at Christie's that someone had linked to, since that ring was created by Tiffanys, there should definitely be records on those diamonds....

 

[not_my_kids]

Given the circumstances of this case so far, it would be easy to get a judge to sign a warrant to confiscate the ring.

Yes, now. But at the time? Even though Gabe was missing and threats were made, they would have had to tell the judge that EJ had hidden and tried to give away Gabe before. That may have swayed a judge not to do anything yet...
Or maybe they just got an ineffective judge that didn't want to be bothered with the case.

 

[BeanE]

It was the 2nd visit when he was able to talk to her, without the brother.

Jan 18 visit. Video of interview as he leaves jail. No mention of ring.

http://www.kpho.com/video/22268993/index.html

 

[danisisa]

How do we know the ring was a female ring.

I found a ruby and diamond ring at this pawnshop in AZ that is a men's ring.

http://www.momoneypawn.com/

Check the ring section.....EJ would not keep the ring, so it would not matter if it was a man or woman's ring.

Didn't someone say it was in her pocket?

 

[not_my_kids]

Okay, I am confused, the majority of articles, even back at the beginning say it was in her pocket. Now, I keep seeing people saying she was wearing it.

Clarification? Anyone?

 

[Gin]

How do we know the ring was a female ring.

I found a ruby and diamond ring at this pawnshop in AZ that is a men's ring.

http://www.momoneypawn.com/

Check the ring section.....EJ would not keep the ring, so it would not matter if it was a man or woman's ring.

Didn't someone say it was in her pocket?

Certainly possible. But, if it was a bribe from the alleged kidnappers, they probably would have given her a woman's ring. She seems to be all about things (and not humans.) Whether she was going to attempt to cash it in or not, she'd probably prefer something beautiful to her eyes.
She also seems to think she's the smartest fish in the tank. Maybe she thought she'd fool the police if she "hid" her most precious possession ring in her pocket. Sheer brilliance! (Not.)

 

[Boo Scout]

Okay, I am confused, the majority of articles, even back at the beginning say it was in her pocket. Now, I keep seeing people saying she was wearing it.

Clarification? Anyone?

I have seen both. In articles that talk about her Grandfather's call with her on Saturday, Jan. 16, I've usually seen that he says (paraphrasing) EJ asked him to pick up $300 she had on her and an expensive ring she was wearing.

I think that's where the wearing comes from.

Otherwise I think that the latest news mentions it being in her pocket when she was arrested.

I can certainly find links but I do believe we've seen both.

IMO, if EJ believe that ring was worth $20K, she'd keep it in her pocket rather than wear it on her travels.