Lost Tantalum Ring Found – Lake Mills, WI

June 13th, found Lake Mills, WI resident, Robert Rehm spreading mulch on his one-acre property when his tantalum wedding ring went missing. He and his wife, Miriam, searched everywhere but could not locate the love token.

I received a phone call from Miriam asking if I might help. I was travelling in California at the time but arranged to conduct a search shortly after my return to Wisconsin.

Tantalum is a rare metal used “in high-temperature applications, such as aircraft engines, electrical devices such as capacitors, surgical implants and when handling corrosive chemicals.” Its use in jewelry is only recent. In fact, Robert’s is only the 2nd tantalum ring I’ve searched for.

Upon arrival at the Rehm’s residence on June 20th, Robert gave me a tour of the property as we reviewed his timeline of activities on the day of the loss. I noted the newly installed mulch in several garden areas and decided to begin searching at one end.

Knowing just where to begin searching is sometimes a random choice that can have significant time consequences. Had I started at another location, the search at Robert’s large property could have taken a few hours. But as it turned out, only a few minutes later, Robert’s tantalum ring registered its presence in my headset. It lay buried under a couple inches of mulch.

The smile on Robert’s face tells the rest of the story.