As executor for her mother-in-law's estate, Ashley Gibson was attempting to sell a 3.5-carat diamond ring whose lineage could be traced back to the Eastern European branch of the family. An estate liquidator had offered $18,000 for the ring, but Gibson felt that this was a low-ball offer because her internet search suggested numbers in the $30,000 to $35,000 range. She had dropped off the ring for jeweler Peter Reines to examine prior to their meeting the next morning.