A couple from suburban Fairfax County, Va., might have found it. Coated in dirt. Abandoned in a parking lot at a mall.

Keith Stetzer was in the parking lot finishing up a cigarette recently when he noticed the solitaire diamond ring up against a concrete barrier.

He would not find out until days later that the diamond was 3.02 carats and an excellent cut worth about $40,000. He only knew that he should try to find the owner.

Sure, he could use the money, he said. Stetzer, 46, is a construction worker; his wife, Linda, is a payroll clerk; and gas prices are not going down.

"But you've got to stop and think about it," he said. "If you lost that ring, would you want somebody to return it? If I lost my wallet, I would want somebody to return it."

In an attempt to find the owner, Linda Stetzer initially took the ring to a jeweler who cleaned it, noted its value, and found the word "Mervis" imprinted inside the band. The couple took the ring to the nearby Mervis Diamond Center.

Mervis is now helping in the search, agreeing to take calls from the public and to verify ownership through its records. The ring is at least three years old; the company printed its name on jewelry for only a few years and stopped three years ago.