Barbara Davis displays rings recovered in a needle-in-the-haystack search through 8 tons of compacted trash.

A.E. Araiza / Arizona Daily Star

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CENTRAL ARIZONA COLLEGE
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After sifting through broken glass, dirty diapers and items not fit to mention in a family newspaper, William Davis found what he was looking for: his wife's "priceless" diamond rings.

Early last month, in pursuit of the lost rings, William and Barbara Davis spent time ankle-deep in the kind of junk no one wants to see. On Wednesday, they provided a firsthand account of what it was like digging through garbage at Waste Management's transfer station at 5200 W. Ina Road.

"I was appalled to see how many people do not use recycling," said Barbara, 64.

Don Ross, Waste Management's residential route manager for Pima County, said this wasn't the first time people have found things they've inadvertently tossed, "but this is definitely the one that will stick in my mind."

William, 69, had thrown four diamond rings — wrapped in a paper towel — into the garbage while cleaning the kitchen.

His wife had placed them in the paper towel intending to put them away later, but a phone call distracted her.

Three of the diamond rings belonged to Barbara's deceased mother and the fourth was a 25th wedding anniversary gift. The couple wouldn't say how much the rings are worth.

The morning after she'd taken them off, Barbara realized her husband had discarded the rings. She acted quickly because her garbage hauler, Waste Management, had already emptied their garbage can.

After an unsuccessful drive to find the truck that picked up the garbage, she called Waste Management's Phoenix office.

She talked to Ross, who told her he could call the truck back to the transfer station and she could sort through the waste by hand.

"My first thought was: 'There's no way we're going to find these rings,'" Ross said. "But I didn't want her to lose hope because I could see how much they meant to her."

Ross got the driver to return and he and Barbara began to comb through the 8-ton pile of compacted garbage.

Later Ross asked another Waste Management employee, Ernesto Miranda, to help out.

After 2 1/2 hours, Barbara began to get discouraged, and her thoughts turned to her mother.

"I was thinking, she'd not let me go through the golden gates without her rings," Barbara said.

When William joined the search, his wife and Ross had been scouring the trash for two hours. "I was determined to find them," William said. "I did have that in my mind and my heart."

An hour later he saw something he recognized, a lint roller he'd thrown away. The paper towel containing the rings — which were undamaged — was close by.

"Barb," he said, "do you want your rings?"