A Stamford woman's family has been reunited with her class ring from the 1940s that has been lost for almost 80 years.

Ken Smith from Stamford found it at Saint Basil Seminary in Stamford. He never imagined the magnitude of what he found.

"This is my handy dandy Gerrit 18 max metal detector," said Smith, who spends his spare time looking for treasure.

Over the past few years, he's found all sorts of items, including coins and British belt buckles dating back to the late 1700s.

Earlier this month, he came across his most meaningful find yet.

"A couple inches down with my little trowel, I unearthed the ring," said Smith.

The ring is from the class of 1946 at Stamford High School. The initials FCL are engraved on the ring. Smith says he called the principal and the school found the woman who the ring belongs to. Her name is Freda Charles Lecuras.

She died in 2012 at the age of 85. Smith gave the ring to her daughter Kathi Moschos – now a family heirloom.

"I just don't know what to say. When he brought the ring, I just felt like I got a piece of her. I wanted to call her up and say we found your ring Mom," said Moschos.

"Just a good feeling to get it back to the owner of the ring. I'm sure they missed it," said Smith.

Moschos runs Kathi's Cafe at the Stamford Government Center. She says her mother also worked there until she died. She was surprised the ring turned up where it did.

"I have no idea what she was doing over there I think it was an all-boys school," said Moschos.

Smith says he found another ring similar to the class ring – and hopes to “make somebody’s day” when the owner is found.