Seven-year-old gives his mother a gift of 'diamonds'

~Boy's gift is recognized by national magazine

SIKESTON -- Cindy Taylor was smiling ear to ear -- and it's all because of the rock on her finger.

No, she didn't get engaged recently, and it wasn't her birthday. It's something a little more special, more "precious," than that. It's even landed Taylor recognition in the March 11 edition of the national magazine, Woman's World, and an upcoming edition of "Chicken Soup for the Soul."

It all began last October, when Aubrey Taylor noticed his mother was feeling down, thinking about how fast her kids were growing up. The 7-year-old wanted to do something to cheer his mother up. He decided to make her a "diamond" ring.

"It's beautiful," said Taylor, admiring her ring. "I wear it every day."

Over the past few years, Aubrey, his older sister and brother have been chipping away at a large cratered rock, located behind their Sikeston subdivision.

"They think it's an asteroid that fell from the sky," noted Taylor. "We honestly don't know what it is. My husband thinks it formed from clear water."

Aubrey collects the rocks and thinks they're diamonds, Taylor said about her son. He calls them crystals.

Using a chisel and small hammer, Aubrey chipped away at the rusty-black colored rock. He noticed the layer under the rock was clear and sparkly, like diamonds. On the particular day Aubrey's mom was sad, he mined for 20 minutes straight before finding the perfect "diamond."

"He came back home with a handful of rocks he chipped and asked me which ones were the prettiest. I told him which ones looked best," said Aubrey's sister, Monica Robeson, 15.

Aubrey saved the crystals in a little bag and took them to his mother. When he gave them to his mother, she graciously accepted them, not knowing what to do with them, Taylor recalled.

"Aubrey's always up to something," Taylor said. "And that day he asked me for my broken ring, which was a silver setting I'd kept after the stone fell out. Then he said he wanted to take me to the place where they make rings. He said he wanted to make me happy because he knew I was sad. I didn't want to disappoint him so we went."

Once there, Aubrey told the salesman, "My mommy is the best mom in the whole world and I want you to make her the biggest diamond ring ever."

When Aubrey put the rocks on the jeweler's counter, the jeweler didn't know what to do, Taylor said. The jeweler said they'd never done anything like that before and they'd try their best, Taylor explained.

Two weeks later, Aubrey presented the ring to his mother. "The jeweler had wrapped it in a box and took pictures of Aubrey giving me the ring. It was so special," Taylor said. "And unfortunately, they've since gone out of business."

What started out as a black and brown piece of rock had turned into something priceless for Taylor. The jewelers polished the stone, taking the dark color away and placed it in the old band. It only cost $2, she said.

"I was excited. I knew it was going to make mom feel better," said Aubrey.

It looks like a regular diamond ring, Taylor stated. It means more to her than any diamond ring she has, Taylor admitted. After Aubrey gave his mother the ring, it made her realize there are more important things in life, she said.

"It's so special. It's just priceless," beamed Taylor. "I'm the luckiest mom ever."