Woman loses her $900 earring in the ocean while playing with her friend, asks her to pay for the lost jewelry, then gets blocked after she refuses: 'I’m a nursing student with a limited budget'

Author image for Inés Soubrie
Inés Soubrie • Writer and Editor
Jul 22, 2026 5:15 PM EDT

Since when has paying for others' expensive belongings been a thing? 

There is this saying: 'You break it, you buy it'. But there is a huuge line from there to having to take responsibility for something you did not lose or break. This poor woman was enjoying a fun time with her friend, playing on her shoulders; next thing you know, she is responsible for the missing jewelry. In what world would that be her fault? Darling, if you wear a 1,0000 dollar earring into the ocean, you best believe they are going to get lost. And no, Miss Ariel won't come back from the deep, dark ocean to give it back. I do not understand how it could be acceptable to ask your friend for the money. 

If the scenario looked something like this, then the conversation would be different: her friend lent her the jewelry and told her to be extra careful because they were expensive, then her friend went ahead and lost them. Well, of course, paying back would make sense. But in this scenario? It just seems pretty childish and inconsiderate to me. If you consider asking for the money back the right thing to do, then I respect being upfront and forward (which still sounds kind of insane to me). But ending a relationship and blocking your friend over that is so immature and childlike. I think people sometimes have to accept that things will not always go their way; sometimes you wear your favorite piece of jewelry to the ocean, and they get lost. Is it ideal? Of course not, but that's life, and at the end of the day, let's be real; it was an earring you lost, not some emotionally valuable belonging.

As Kourtney said to Kim K when losing her diamond earring in the Maldives, 'Kim, there are people that are dying'. So not to imply that the only thing that matters are life-altering situations, but this one in particular seems a little bratty and over the top for what was actually going on. So if I were you, I would be glad this experience unmasked the kind of person your friend truly is, and what her priorities are. Clearly, money comes first, and the rest is just a replaceable extension of her life. Move on and let her be. 

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  • 01
    Two women smiling and swimming underwater in the ocean.
    via Dina Badamshina

    Two women smiling and swimming underwater in the ocean. 

    Subjects are models. 

  • 02
    A few weeks ago, a group of us (all 21+) went to Havasu. We had been drinking, hanging out in the water, and just messing around. At one point, I got on my friend's shoulders in the water. She never mentioned she was wearing expensive earrings, and I didn't pull on them or anything like that.
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  • 03
    When we got out, she realized one of her earrings was gone. It turns out it costs $900+ to replace just the one earring.
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  • 04
    A group of friends running in the water at the beach and smiling.
    via Getty Images

    A group of friends running in the water at the beach and smiling. 

    Image is a representation of the people and events described.

  • 05
    I immediately felt awful. We both searched for it, but we couldn't find it. I apologized multiple times because I genuinely hated that it happened. I never saw it as anything other than an unfortunate accident while we were all goofing around.
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  • 06
    After the trip, she became distant. She didn't come to my birthday or wish me a happy birthday. Later, I found out from another friend that the earring situation was why.
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  • 07
    I reached out because I wanted to clear the air. We ended up having a long conversation, cleared up some miscommunication, and she explained she'd been dealing with a lot of personal stress outside of this situation.
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  • 08
    During that conversation, she asked if I would help pay to replace the earring. She also told me her parents weren't replacing it, so she'd have to pay for it herself.
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  • 09
    A woman looking at the camera, wearing jewelry and her hair down.
    via Alvensia Angela

    A woman looking at the camera, wearing jewelry and her hair down.  

    Image is for illustrative purposes only.

  • 10
    I didn't answer right away because I wanted to really think about it. I talked it through with my parents and a few other people to get different perspectives instead of reacting emotionally. The general
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  • 11
    opinion I got was that it was an unfortunate accident. We were both participating in what we were doing, and accidents like this can happen, especially around water while wearing jewelry.
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  • 12
    Woman with a white shirt texting over the phone.
    via Miquel Parera

    Woman with a white shirt texting over the phone. 

    The individuals pictured are models used for illustration.

  • 13
    I ended up telling her kindly that I was really sorry it happened and that I cared about her, but I wasn't comfortable contributing toward replacing it. I wasn't trying to be dismissive, I just didn't feel it was something I should pay for, and I'm also a nursing student with a limited budget.
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  • 14
    After that she blocked me.
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friends unfair entitled money entitled people Mean People
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