I really feel for you bigmamma, I comletely sympathise
My mum left her engagement ring in the ladies at the Clifton Hotel in Blackpool in 1962 at my Great Aunt's 25th Wedding anniversary , it was only relatives at the do too, she didn't tell my Dad for many many years, if ever actually now i think of it, she never forgot though and was devastated.
In 1979 my charm bracelet was stolen from my house, it was my 21st present from my family, and it had 14 charms on it, I will never forget that, and when we were moving here, the day we moved, my engagement ring was stolen from my old house :( I don't really wear jewellery now, i keep it well hidden.