Woman Steals Generational Family Ring From Her Grandma’s Jewelry Box After Her Passing

Oct 05, 2023

There are families who want to keep the tradition going from one generation to another, whether it be an annual event or just a simple item that would eventually be inherited by the descendants of those who passed away.

This is what happened to a then-21-year-old Reddit user with the name RINGTHROWAWAY2468, who took to the AITA thread in June 2019 to share a story about her grandmother’s jewelry.

It all began when her grandmother passed away after suffering from Alzheimer’s. Like any other people when they die, the elderly woman had a few things that she left behind, one of which was a ring.

The woman explained that the beloved accessory was passed down from her grandmother to her mom, then eventually to the lady who had just died at the time. 

The original poster (OP) was captivated by the ring's beauty, often admiring it during visits to her grandmother’s home.

“The ring means a lot to me and it’s the only thing I wanted of hers,” she wrote. 

Grandma’s only condition is for the ring to be inherited by her eldest daughter, then eventually she would also give it to her oldest female child. 

OP was expecting the ring to be passed down to hers as her aunt only had two biological sons, which meant that the youngest daughter would eventually get the ring. 

When she was 11, the aunt told the original poster’s mom that even though she was older than her, she wanted her younger sibling to inherit the ring, and then she would eventually give it to the Reddit user.

However, the aunt adopted a 17-year-old girl back when she was just 14.

After the grandmother passed away, everyone in their family cleaned the house as her home was full of clutter because she was transferred to a facility when she had Alzheimer’s.

Later on, OP said she overheard her aunt and her adopted daughter talking about how she would get the ring from the jewelry box herself before it fell in the hand of the poster, as the adoptive cousin is the older one.

“I was upset because my aunt promised me I could eventually have it but she changed her mind,” she wrote.

After she overheard their conversation, they went out to eat, and OP left early. She then told her aunt she needed to fill in for a sick co-worker.

However, she did the exact opposite and went to her grandmother’s house to get the ring before anyone could come back. She later took it to her apartment and hid it somewhere safe.

“I have no idea what will happen today when my aunt realizes it’s missing,” she wrote at the time.

OP gave an update regarding the last will and testament that her grandmother had left them.

She claimed that this is what her grandmother had written: “Diamond ring inherited from my grandmother: My eldest daughter who is to then place it with her eldest biological daughter. If she should not bear daughters, it shall be given to my youngest daughter instead who is to then place it with her eldest biological daughter.”

OP insisted that it belongs to her as “blood ties were important” to her grandma, and adopted grandchildren “aren’t included.”

In a later update, the woman claimed she didn’t know there was a will, and she only based it on the words that she heard, and it was the reason why she took the ring.

“I felt it was mine since it had been promised to me and was offended that there was an attempt to actually take it away from me,” she added.

When the family got together, including OP's mom, aunt, and cousin, they read the will, and it was clear that her mom was the rightful owner of the ring.

The aunt and her daughter were furious and began “screaming” at them. She then told OP that she would never talk to her again.

Other Reddit users replied and shared their thoughts. One Redditor noted that the original poster did nothing wrong: “NTA Your grandmother wanted it to end up with you and while it is a bit rude not saying anything your aunt going against her wishes is being an a**hole so yeah you do you and keep it.”

Another one agreed and wrote, “it was your grandmothers will and just to be safe I wouldn’t confess straight away about taking it.”

Not everyone had the same reaction, as some were not in favor of the original poster’s side, especially on how she described her adoptive cousin: “Adopted members of the family are still members of the family and do not require scare quotes… Your cousin has been a part of the family for seven years.”

“You are not even a daughter here! Your mother and your aunt are… you are not entitled to anything unless your mother dies. You are making a bad situation so much worse! While you are not even party to it,” another one wrote. 

What is your opinion on the Redditor's side of the story? Do you think she was right in keeping the ring to herself without any permission? What would you do if you were in a similar situation? Let us know your thoughts, and make sure to pass this on to your friends and family.