Man finds $40,000 diamond ring in his scooter

The chances that treasure hunters strike gold are rare, but a Florida man who made a big sentimental find celebrated its discovery by finding its original owners.

I thought it was just a normal day, thought it might be a nickel, metal detecting enthusiast Joseph Cook, also known as Joe Digger on social media, said on Mornings with Maria Tuesday. I dig it up, and about six inches under the ground, and pulled out this beautiful, huge diamond ring. It was amazing. I couldn't believe it. Cook dug up a diamond ring worth $40,000 and not even a minute thought about keeping it while searching the St. Augustine Beach area after the turbulent tides that came from Hurricane Ian.

I had no idea it was worth it. Cook explained that when I put it in my scooter, I thought maybe a grand, two grand or something. It was in my scooter for a week before I took it to a jewelry store to look at it. Cook made a public service announcement on his social media pages after learning its value, in hopes that the original owners would see the posts. Cook contacted about 100 jewelry stores in the state with photos and descriptions of the ring.

I emailed stores all the way from here, up to almost Georgia, down past Daytona. Cook said that a couple of weeks went by and didn't hear anything of it. I wasn't sure if I would be able to return it or not. Then Cook was waiting for a husband who got a tip from his jeweler, claiming it was his wife's lost engagement ring and sending the wedding photos to prove it. Cook said he was excited and eager to return the ring.

They were pretty happy. Cook told The New York Post last week that she was on a FaceTime call and she just said, Oh my God, I can't believe it, and then she just started crying.

Cook recovered a number of other rings found deep along Florida's coastlines. He wears a necklace as a reminder of his mission to return meaningful treasures back home.

Cook encouraged anyone who lost a ring in Florida to go to my channel. Some of them are diamond rings. I've emailed multiple jewelry stores, but every time I find them, I try to get them back to the owner. Cook found his passion for treasure hunting after being gifted his first metal detector by his parents at a younger age, and was often inspired by his uncle who also picked up the hobby as a child.

If it wouldn't be for them, I wouldn't be doing all this today, Cook said.

Cook has reportedly found items from Apple Watches to old Victorian-era rings and Spanish relics in other beach digs, previously telling Fox News his finds totaled more than $60,000.

Cook noted last year that an eight-foot tall ship anchor was found about four feet deep in the sand. The park rangers wouldn't let me. It was cool to even be recorded.