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Wednesday, November 11, 2026Nov 11

Diamond ring brings $2,600 for Ridgeland High School kiln money

photo Erika Couey, a Ridgeland High School art teacher, wears a ring she won and intends to sell so her students can fire their ceramics in a new kiln.

Ceramics students at Ridgeland High School in Walker County are on track to get a new kiln since a bidder has offered $2,600 for a diamond ring auctioned by art teacher Erika Couey.

Couey won the ring when the marching band raffled it around Valentine’s Day to raise money for new uniforms.

She spent $100 on a dozen raffle tickets, intending all along to sell the ring to help pay for a new kiln, since the school doesn’t have the money to buy one.

Five people emailed Couey when bidding started, and “there were two bidders that bid back and forth, back and forth,” she said.

The winning bid of $2,600 came in at 5 p.m. Friday for the 14-karat white gold ring with 2.5 carats’ worth of diamonds.