A woman returned home after her husband of almost 60 years died in hospital to find she had been burgled.
Iris Bramman dashed out of the house on Friday morning (March 6) in a panic after her husband Graham, 79, who had cancer, took a turn for the worse.
When she returned home on Saturday morning after he had died she found their bungalow in Grange Road, Caister, had been burgled.
A safe had been crow-barred off the wall, and a lifetime of precious and sentimental jewellery stolen.
Mrs Bramman said of all the pieces, she was desperate to recover just two.
One was an unusual gold and opal lattice ring bought by her husband from Cox's in Great Yarmouth, and the other was a ruby and diamond ring he had bought as a present for this coming Christmas knowing he would not live to see it.
Mr Bramman had suffered with leukaemia for three years.
The couple met as teenagers in Derby and had lived in Caister since 1976.
Mr Bramman became desperately ill on Friday March 6.
'I was in a panic because I knew how ill he was,' Mrs Bramman said. 'I put my wedding ring on but I purposely did not put my diamond engagement ring on because of scratching his skin.
'I checked that everything was locked and went out the front door but they got in through the back way.
'I stayed with him until he passed away in the early hours.
'I was so shocked when I walked through the door.
'Because I was devastated and heartbroken with what had happened, it took my breath away.
'I had some beautiful pieces.
'I have tried to list them but the shock has taken my memory.
'They took everything.'
Among the haul were two engagement rings - the first costing just £15 from when they were young, and a second more extravagant ring.
The ruby and diamond ring he had bought her for Christmas was still in the drawer because it needed to be made smaller.
Among the more distinctive pieces were the unique opal ring nestled in a gold lattice and a gold Nefertiti necklace.
Of her husband she said: 'He was just a lovely man, everyone thought a lot of him.
'I met him when I was 16 and he always protected me.'
Chairman of Caister Parish Council Tony Baker spoke of his shock.
He said: 'It is very callous and it is an unusual sort of crime to happen in a quiet village like Caister.
'I can only hope that the perpetrators are caught and quickly punished.'
Anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the area between 9.45am on Friday March 6 and 7.25am on Saturday March 7 or has any further information should contact DC Gavin Rivett at Great Yarmouth CID on 101 quoting crime reference 36/16623/20 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
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