When a London woman realized the actual value of her prized costume jewelry, her life took an unexpected and profitable turn.

The unnamed Londoner discovered an unusual and captivating ring at the Middlesex Hospital Flea Market more than thirty years ago. At first she was lured to its alluring sparkle, and for just £13, or around $17, she bought the piece. She had no idea how this choice would alter her life irrevocably.

The woman, who preferred to be anonymous, had never thought of the ring as merely a piece of jewelry. It represented her goals and objectives and functioned as a talisman. She wore it every day for thirty years, holding it close to her heart despite its age and tarnished appearance.

However, during a normal trip to the grocery store, her life took an unexpected turn. She was being followed by an enigmatic man whose attention was fixed on her ring. His actions alarmed her, so she paid for her groceries fast and ran to her car, all the while the man was chasing after her.

She became even more nervous when the man approached her and asked to see her ring up close. The woman swiftly left the area after rejecting the brazen proposition from the stranger.

But there was still more to come from fate. The woman could not remember to put on her favorite ring on one especially hectic morning. Alarmed by its disappearance, she turned back and discovered it leaning against the bathroom sink, where she had momentarily set it down to clean her teeth.

Driven by her intuition and growing misgivings about the man’s attention, she chose to bring the ring to Sotheby’s London for an evaluation.