Miriam Schmidt was snorkeling in the shallows of Vlycha Beach in Greece when a sparkle in the Mediterranean sand caught her eye.
The 8-year-old German girl, vacationing with her family in early July, dove toward the glint, scooped it up and surfaced – excitedly holding aloft a gold ring.
“We were all surprised, and she was extremely proud of her discovery,” remembered Martin Schmidt, Miriam’s father. “We immediately realized it wasn’t just an ordinary piece of jewelry.”
The Schmidts were right.
The ring belonged to Renae Nicola Stamas, a 2020 graduate of Notre Dame Preparatory School in Towson. She had lost it almost exactly a year earlier while swimming and playing in the water with her godson during a family visit to Greece.
As soon as she realized her class ring was missing, Stamas frantically searched the sand and water, but held little hope of finding it.
“My sister Jiana even tried to dive and look,” remembered Stamas, who currently lives in Miami, where she is entering her final year of a master of architecture program at the University of Miami, Coral Gables. She holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Maryland, College Park.
“After a few days passed, I came to terms with the fact that it was probably lost for good,” she said. “I never imagined I’d see it again.”
The Schmidts never considered keeping the ring, which bears the initials “NDP.” Miriam herself suggested they find the owner. Upon their return to Germany, the Schmidts took the ring to a local goldsmith who showed them Stamas’ engraved name on the object.
“That made it feel personal and important,” Schmidt said. “We were certain someone was missing it dearly.”
A quick Google search led them to Notre Dame Preparatory School, and Schmidt contacted school officials. The family paid to ship the ring to the United States, where it arrived in early August.
Martin Schmidt noted the gold alone was valued at about $550. They could have pocketed it without anyone knowing, he said, “but it wouldn’t have been right.”
“We believe in being role models for our children, and we wanted to show Miriam that doing the right thing matters – especially when no one is watching,” he said. “Returning the ring wasn’t just the honest choice; it was also the meaningful one.”
Miriam was thrilled when Stamas was contacted. “She told her friends at school and said, ‘I think I did something important,’ ” her father recalled.
Stamas was “completely shocked” to hear the ring had been found.
“I was overwhelmed with gratitude that someone had not only found it, but gone out of their way to track me down,” she said.
She had worn the ring for six years, she said, and it represents more than her high school.
“My mom, aunts and sisters all attended the same school,” she said, noting that her mother, Maria Stamas, resized her own NDP ring from 1985 for her to wear after hers was lost. “So this ring holds a deep connection to my roots. Getting it back feels like a piece of home being restored.”
Schmidt said his family is “amazed” at how a small act connected people across continents.
“It shows how powerful kindness and curiosity can be,” he said.
Hey, St. Anthony?
31 percent
Share of people who say they’ve lost a piece of jewelry, according to a BriteCo consumer survey.
20-35 percent
Portion of travelers reporting jewelry loss or theft on trips in Jewelers Mutual studies.
4 in 10
Men estimated by The Ring Finders’ founder to lose their wedding ring at some point.
Top loss locations:
Beaches, pools, hotels, gyms and at home are most often cited.
Email George P. Matysek Jr. at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org
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