Diamonds: They’re beautiful, alluring—but not particularly delicious. At least we don’t think so, never having eaten one. But here are the disgusting and amusing stories of four people, and one animal, who have gulped down gems—and not always by accident:
Honey Bun (Albany, Ga., 2011)
Honey Bun, the Pomeranian that serves as the mascot for John Ross Jewelers, was apparently just looking for his treats. But when he found—and made a snack of—several 1 ct. diamonds, owner Chuck Ross raced the 19-month-old pooch to the vet. And while both dog and diamonds emerged unscathed, the story wasn’t over. Someone at the vet’s office tipped off the media, and soon the tale of the hungry pup attracted press from all over. “I have a friend who’s a brick distributor,” Roberts told JCK. “He says it’s the best publicity he’s ever seen. He’s trying to get his poodle to eat one of his bricks.”
The Jewel Thief (Ontario, 2012)
A jewel thief in Ontario may have thought he was being clever when he popped a 1.7 ct. stone into his mouth, after an alert jeweler stopped him mid–stone switch. He no doubt reconsidered that brainstorm after he was arrested and the progress of his digestive track turned into worldwide headlines. The man took a week to, um, pass the stone, during which he was held in police custody without a toilet and fed fiber-rich foods. Still, the jeweler told the CBC there might be a market for this piece of tainted evidence, adding: “You never know, people might want it, saying, ‘There’s a whole story behind this diamond and I want it.’”
The Regurtitator (United Kingdom, 2010)
He may not have proved that Britain’s Got Talent, but Stevie Starr, otherwise known as “The Regurgitator,” certainly made an impression on that U.K. game show when he swallowed judge Amanda Holden’s engagement ring. True to his name, Starr returned the ring to the relieved judge a minute later, bragging, “It’s not wet.” Sadly, the Scottish performance artist didn’t win the show’s grand prize, but his act will live on in the nightmares of all who watched.
The Fiancé (New Mexico, 2009)
Here is one engagement story that won’t make the Ultimate Proposal Contest. Reed Harris was hoping that he would surprise girlfriend Kaitlin Whipple by hiding a ring in her milkshake. But the surprise turned to shock when she accidentally gulped down the little sparkler, and had to be rushed to the hospital. Harris eventually proposed by handing Whipple an x-ray of her stomach. The story ended happily though, once the stone emerged two days later. “It’s so beautiful and I love it,” Whipple wrote on her blog. “I have never been so excited about my bodily functions.”
“Ann” (YouTube, 2011)
Perhaps the most bizarre entry on this list—which is no small achievement—is this video, which at press time has received more than 25,000 views, showing a woman from a “Vore” website purportedly ingesting a diamond ring her ex-boyfriend gave her, while the camera lingers creepily on her torso. No reason is given why she does this, though perhaps the Urban Dictionary definition of “Vore” can shed a little light. Says the person who posted the minute-long clip: “Yes, it was a real ring and yes, it did go down”—even though some commenters find the whole thing hard to swallow. (Be warned that the linked video has been age-restricted by YouTube. But if you made it this far, you can probably handle it.)
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