Paris — Two days after it went missing, security staff at the luxury Ritz Hotel in Paris have found a diamond ring lost by a guest that is valued at more than $800,000. The gem was discovered in the bag of a vacuum cleaner.

The ring's owner, a Malaysian businesswoman on vacation in Paris, noticed the jewel missing when she returned from a shopping trip nearby on Friday morning.

The guest told the hotel she had left the ring on a table in her room when she went out that morning. Convinced it had been stolen by a Ritz employee, she filed a complaint with the police.

According to Le Parisien newspaper, the Ritz had its security team comb the guest's room and the rest of the hotel, trying to find the ring.

After 48 hours of painstaking searching, the ring was found in the bag of one of the hotel's vacuum cleaners.

Ritz management stressed to Le Parisien that there was never any question in their minds that there had been a theft. However, it will be up to the Paris prosecutor to decide whether the charges should be dropped.

The guest, who checked out on Saturday, was informed that her ring had been found and was reportedly "delighted." The newspaper said the hotel offered her a 3-night stay, free of charge, on her next visit to Paris — but she declined the offer.

"We would like to thank the employees of the Ritz Paris who were involved in the search and who work with integrity and professionalism every day," the newspaper quoted a hotel manager as saying.

The Ritz is one of the most prestigious and best-known luxury hotels in the world. Room rates start at $2,150 per night and soar to $50,000 per night in the 2,350-square-foot, top floor suite.

In:
• Jewel
• Paris
• Diamond
• France