A frenzied (and rather smelly) search for $20,000 diamond earrings was underway moments after a New York jewelry store employee accidentally discarded 3-carat diamond earrings belonging to the couple who owned the store.

For some curious reason, the expensive diamond earrings were stored in a jar of cleaning solution (when did storing valuables in mattresses or under the floorboards go out of style?). One of the workers, while cleaning up the store, threw what she thought was a rancid jar of cleaning solution into the garbage.

The jewelry store employee who threw the jar into the trash claimed that she was totally unaware of its valuable contents. Upon having discovered that the jar was missing, jewelry store owner, Haya Sharon became frantic.  Of course, real diamond earings are extremely valuable, but these earrings were especially meaningful. “The earrings were an anniversary present from my husband,” she explained.

The diamond earrings were finally found after Haya, her husband, and a bunch of bemused sanitation workers sifted through the Staten Island dump, recovering the coveted cleaning solution jar containing the precious diamond earrings.

In the end of things, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to keep the jewels stored safely in a jar of cleaning solution.  Hopefully it kept them sterile!