25k Diamond Necklace Bought By Mistake

Published on 11/06/12

All he wanted was a battery replacement for his watch, and a small gift for his wife of 65 years. So how did 90-year-old Maurice ("Maury") Branch end up purchasing a $25,000 diamond bracelet?

That's what his children want to know. "He's never bought her something like that in his life!" said Maury's daughter, Carol Branch. "They lived a very frugal life."

The saga began in late January, when Maury, a retired economics professor in Chelsea, Mich., visited La Jolla Fine Jewelry, a local shop, to buy a new watch battery. According to store owner and designer Curtis Gough, Maury and his wife, Helen, 88, were frequent customers. "I re-designed their wedding rings last year," said Gough.

On the day in question, Gough greeted them but did not wait on them, he said. Instead, another employee helped Branch buy his battery, along with a little something for his wife. "I thought it was a $20 rhinestone bracelet, and that it was pretty," Maury told ABC News. He charged it on his Visa card and went on his way.