This post was written in November 2018

A few months ago I noticed that the rings I was given for my 21st were missing. I didn’t think anything more than, ‘I must look properly’ as I was in a hurry. In hindsight, I should have acted then because now it’s too late!
Around the same time I also noticed that money from Tristan’s money box was missing. But I thought maybe he’d just put it somewhere else. Now, once again hindsight tells me I should have taken action.

Saturday 3 November 2018 I’m getting dressed to go for breakfast with Shaun & Tristan, I go to my dressing table to put on my earrings & engagement ring and my ring is missing. I’m not immediately alarmed but wonder where I could have left it as 99.9% of the time when I take it off I put it onto my ring tree on my table. But we pop off for a quick breakfast and I make a mental note to look properly when we get back. It’s probably next to my bed.
We return from breakfast and I start looking, and looking and looking. I start turning the house upside down looking in all the logical & illogical places for my ring. Nothing. I then realize that all my jewellery of value is missing. ALL OF IT!

I message our domestic who’s been with us for a year, almost to the day, asking if she’s maybe put it somewhere safe. I hear nothing from her. On Sunday I am still searching everywhere and find nothing. I eventually call my domestic to ask her and she said she’d seen it when she was wiping my table and she will look on Monday. I’m immediately even more suspicious than I was before. Would my ring & other jewellery suddenly reappear?

I spent an anxious night awake on Sunday counting the hours until morning and hopefully the safe return of my ring and jewellery. I spent the morning out and eventually Shaun messaged to say the domestic was at the house and I returned from the shops. I asked her if she’d seen my ring, suddenly she changed her story saying that she knows where I keep my rings but hadn’t seen it. I told her that all my jewellery was missing and did she know anything. She said no. I said that it was best for her to leave immediately. I never actually accused her but I certainly implied it! I was furious, heartbroken, distraught & distressed.

The following items had been taken:
1. silver unicorn pendant on chain
2. platinum & diamond engagement ring
3. white gold & diamond ring (21st gift)
4. 2 x white gold spacers (22nd gift)
5. tanzanite pendant on silver chain (birthday gift)
6. white gold, sapphire & diamond ring (grandmothers wedding ring)
7. yellow gold ring with name in hieroglyphics

I know I tried on my tanzanite pendant about 2 months ago but realised it was too short so took it off thinking I needed to get a longer chain. I had worn my grandmothers ring about a year ago. I’d last worn my engagement ring on the Saturday before, 27th October, when we went for breakfast with my mother in law.

The domestic says it wasn’t her. She’s tried to point a finger at the tilers who were here for the last 2 weeks. She said that I left the house (Shaun was also out) on a day (it was Thursday 25 Nov) to fetch Tristan and asked her to make sure the builders were ok. She says that it was that day that they could have stolen the jewellery. Ok lets break this theory down:
a) problem is that I had my diamond engagement ring on Friday 26 & Sat 27 November so it obviously wasn’t stolen that week
b) if the tilers had come inside they would have left dirty muddy foot prints through the house to my bedroom & dressing room and she or I would have noticed them on my return. There was nothing.
c) they would have been in a hurry (they had no idea where I was or when I’d be back) so they would have just taken everything ok my dressing table. And further to that how would they have known that’s where I kept my jewellery? My room had been closed up the entire time we’ve had builders – all blinds closed all the time!
d) that doesn’t explain the rings & money going missing earlier in the year
So that completely disproves her theory but it gives her the feeling that she’s pointed us away from her when in fact it’s actually just pointed us more towards her!

I had booked a polygraph test for her on Thursday 8 November but yesterday I sat and was so distressed over the whole ordeal I really didn’t want to see her again or have to spend another 3 days stressing over something that will not bring my jewellery back to me. It will prove she’s a liar but it won’t send her to jail and as I said it will not bring my stuff back. It’s gone and I need to put this behind me, process the emotions and let it go. I am still working through all the insurance stuff which will probably take a while but that’s enough for me. I have other things taking up headspace and this is not serving me. It’s just making me stressed & anxious. So I cancelled the polygraph test as I know she’s guilty and I am moving forward.

So a word of advise; lock away your precious jewellery if you’re not wearing it. I have since heard & read plenty of stories of staff stealing from employers over the years and no one noticing until it was too late & something of great value taken. The end!

Update to this story…

The police got involved and although the found other items of ours at porn shops in the Wynberg area they obviously never found the jewellery. She also failed the polygraph test given to her by the cleaning agency she worked for but the police informed me it wasn’t allowed to be used as proof. Basically her words against mine… all my jewellery was gone for ever. I will moan it’s loss for ever!