Police in Windsor, Ont., have confirmed that a stone passed by a man accused of swallowing a $20,000 diamond is in fact the real deal.
The stone in question was expelled Saturday, and tests confirmed it is the missing gem, said Staff Sgt. Dave Kigar.
Kigar reports that since it was passed, the stone has been returned to its rightful owners.
The expulsion of the precious 1.7-carat diamond comes more than a week after 52-year-old Richard Mackenzie Matthews allegedly swallowed it.
Police reports say that Matthews switched a diamond at Windsor's Precision Jewellers and swallowed the real one.
Kigar said Matthews, who was detained in police custody until the diamond was found, has now been transferred to the county jail.
Matthews is still believed to have a cubic zirconia, a low-cost substitute for a diamond, in his stomach.
In the early stages of Matthews' detainment, the suspect was given foods that can act as laxatives to help him pass the diamond, said police reports.
Then, in an effort to speed up the process, he was eventually given whatever foods he desired, said police.
Matthews is charged with theft and breach of court conditions. He is also wanted on warrants in Toronto.
With files from The Canadian Press
