Cai and Holly Andrade. The ring, with its striking aquamarine stone, halo of diamonds and intricate floral detailing, was an ideal fit for Holly. Photo: Dale Harper.
Belconnen couple Cai and Holly Andrade knew from their first date that they were destined to be together forever.
After a whirlwind romance, just three months after their first date on the Gold Coast, Cai purchased the ring that had already captured Holly’s heart.
Holly, an artist from Canberra, had discovered the unique aquamarine ring while visiting Cai in Brisbane.
“Holly wanted me to see the ring when I returned to Brisbane. So I did, thinking I was just going to see the ring. Holly actually meant buy the ring and was very upset that I didn’t. What she didn’t know was that I went back the next day to buy the ring and kept it in a sock in my wardrobe until it was time to propose,” Cai recalls.
That time was seven months later. After months of long-distance visits between Brisbane and Canberra, Cai moved to Canberra to be with Holly.
Cai and Holly Andrade are placing their hopes of finding the ring in the Canberra community. Photo: James Harber.
Choosing his birthday for the special occasion, Cai took Holly to Lake Burley Griffin, got down on one knee and presented Holly with the very ring she had fallen in love with.
The ring, with its striking aquamarine stone, a halo of diamonds and intricate floral detailing, was an ideal fit for Holly, who deeply appreciates art.
“It was one of the most important days of my life — I saw the overwhelming happiness in her eyes. She thought the ring was gone forever,” says Cai.
Holly’s unique engagement ring features a 0.88-carat light blue aquamarine stone.
The couple married on Saturday, 4 May 2024, at St John’s Anglican Church in Reid, sealing their love in a ceremony surrounded by family and friends.
However, their happiness was shattered recently when Holly discovered her beloved engagement ring was missing after a trip to Westfield Belconnen in the lead-up to Christmas.
“I always park in the same spot, right in front of the Myer store,” says Holly. “I believe it went missing between parking and walking into the mall or somewhere in the Belconnen area.”
The ring is distinctive. It features a 0.88-carat light blue aquamarine stone surrounded by a halo of diamonds in a floral arrangement set in white and yellow gold.
Since losing it, Cai and Holly have searched everywhere — turning their home upside down, visiting Westfield Belconnen’s lost property, posting in Canberra Facebook groups, and checking Facebook Marketplace — without success.
Cai and Holly Andrade tie the knot at St John’s Anglican Church, Reid. Photo: James Harber.
Devastated by the loss, the couple is now placing their hopes in the Canberra community, hoping that someone may have found the ring or will come across it soon.
“We are very hopeful,” says Cai. “When we went to the lost and found department at Westfield, a lady showed us someone else’s lost ring, which shows that people do find things and search for the owner.”
The value of the ring is far more than financial for Cai and Holly — it’s a symbol of their eternal love and an irreplaceable part of their story. They are pleading with anyone in Canberra who may have already found the ring, or finds the ring in future, to contact them.
“We can’t wait to have our ring back. It means the world to us, and we hope that there are still kind-hearted people who will help bring it home.”
If you can help, email them at hello@hollyandrade.com.
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