Here’s a wild WeHo tale to enjoy with your morning coffee.
It’s a story about a famous actress, her stolen jewelry, and a happy ending. It also includes a jeweler thousands of miles from West Hollywood who will restore your faith in humanity.
You have to go back three years when Emmy-nominated actress Lily Collins, star of Emily in Paris, locked up her jewelry in preparation for a spa day at the West Hollywood EDITION hotel on Sunset. It was all supposed to be so wonderfully relaxing, and it was… until it wasn’t.
This story starts in 2023 when Lily returned to her locker to find someone had cold stone stolen her engagement ring out of her spa locker. They grabbed her wedding ring while they were at it along with some electronics too while she was in getting a treatment. The West Hollywood Sheriff’s Department came out, checked the scene, found no sign of forced entry, filed a report and left. The items listed on the report said they were “valued at over $10,000,” which when you think about it, for items truly valued at over six figures “rings” as a fairly conservative way to put it. No one was ever found. No arrests were ever made. Not much more to say here. The rings were gone. That was that.
Except it wasn’t.
Collins posted to Instagram on March 6 with a photo of the ring back on her finger and a message crediting a Chicago jeweler named Joe Hakimian — owner of Hakimian Imports on Jewelers Row, a family business specializing in custom and estate pieces. Lily took to her IG stories to say:
“So grateful to @joethejewelerchicago for helping recover my original engagement ring after it was stolen almost three years ago,” she wrote. “Having this home means SO much to us. I’m still speechless it’s back on my finger.”
Hakimian says had bought the ring recently at a trade show. Sat with it for a few weeks, then figured out what he was holding. Cleaned it up. Mailed it back. His wife Alyssa went on Instagram and called him “the most honest guy in the game.” Joe himself posted a video. “Guys, this is true. Craziest story ever,” he said. “I got her ring back this week. I’m feeling the good karma. Lily and Charlie, love you guys.”
He hasn’t explained yet exactly how he put it together. Said he would. As of this publication, hasn’t.
The engagement ring alone is worth somewhere between $80,000 and $125,000 depending on who you ask, though that’s probably not the point. Collins’ husband, writer-director Charlie McDowell, designed it himself with jeweler Irene Neuwirth. It’s a rose-cut diamond, light pink, thin gold band, one of a kind piece. He proposed with it on a road trip through New Mexico in September 2020. Collins told Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest she was surprised, then immediately said that was exactly what she would have picked. “He knew me so well, obviously.”
Collins is 36, daughter of musician Phil Collins, and has been working steadily since she was a teenager. The Blind Side. Mirror Mirror. Okja. The Ted Bundy movie. And then Emily in Paris happened in 2020 and everything else got a lot bigger. By the way, fans will love that Netflix just renewed it for a sixth season. She’s also been cast as Audrey Hepburn in a film about the making of Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Lily’s life is looking good. And now she has another tale to tell. This one with a happy ending. It’s about Lily in LA, and Joe the jeweler in Chicago. One who did the right thing. Some might say he’s the real gem in this story. 
Ms. Collins was lucky the jeweler figured out what he had and was able to return it to her. He could have simply figured the piece was valuable and resold it to someone else. Glad she was reunited with her lost ring.
Perfect Sunday story.
And watch out at the Edison, too many stories like this.