14K LOST WEDDING RING – FOUND – SHANANDOAH RIVER HARPERS FERRY WV




1932 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND RING RECOVERED – received a call from a customer in Roundhill, Virginia, who lost a 1932 class ring on his property. The ring was his father‘s and he would wear it occasionally,  for sentimental reasons. Unfortunately it fell off while raking leaves on his large property two days ago. Probably came off when he took his gloves off. Short drive to get to his location, , Bob gave me layout of the property and some details, and within 45 minutes I located his father‘s ring. Bob is 78 years old and was fighting back the tears of joy to have his father‘s ring back in his hands!!
Happy Customer Happy Hunting


I received a call from Nadine in Culpeper, Virginia.… (Yes, red dirt territory). Ms. Brackman is an environmental scientist with a passion for history, adores Dalmatians (massive Dalmatian figurine collection), and writes books. She contacted me because she lost a sentimental silver ring with a Malachite stone while tossing the ball to her dogs in her backyard. Girded for a quick 30 minutes, I found the ring pretty quickly; Nadine was ecstatic to have her cherished ring back on her finger!

September 14, 2026
It was a balmy Saturday night, clear enough to star gaze, but unfortunately loose a cell phone in the sand. Then the rain came like it hasn’t in several years so said the weather man. No searching or raking the area the “FIND-ME” said the phone was in gave up the lost phone. Take note here that the Ping mark for a lost phone is generally good for locating within about a 30 foot radius the rest is up to the owner to find it. Here again the party did not have the correct gear to really search the area for the lost phone. Someone came up with the idea of a metal detectorist that could help out.
When I got the call I was not at home to receive it and driving so I did not read or answer a text right away. At home a few text with a third party as Ari did not have her phone. To make things harder, Ari had left the Cape and was in Boston. Well, I had a ping mark on a screen shot of the area, but it was getting late and the beach was over an hour away, depending on traffic. I would be on the beach before noon.
At 11AM I was on the site. I went to the area of the ping mark. To my dismay there were parallel grid marks, someone had already been there. Either the phone had been found or it was not in the area that had been searched. I increased the to about a 40 foot radius. After a few passes bingo there was a big signal and a gentle push in the sand and there was the Apple iPhone. Mission accomplished. Well almost, I had to return the phone.
I texted the contact’s phone number, hoping Ari was still with her friend. Guess what…the phone I had just found started ringing, but it was locked and I could not answer the call. Back at my car a contact was made as was an arrangement for the phone to be picked up at my home. Where Photos were taken and more of how the phone’s loss took place. I am not sure here, but I believe Ari had sketched the Thank You card and added on the reverse side a heart felt Thank You. I know I have helped many in the same way and hope to keep up the trend for many years to come. A note to me is a meaningful gift that I can revisit time after time. Thank you.

September 12, 2026
53 weeks ago another RingFinder – Brian T. had the experience of searching for, finding, and returning John’s wedding band. This year I had the experience and both John and I hope no RingFinder will need to be called to the beach to search for John’s lost wedding band in the future.
This year it was difficult to get John the help he needed. He had tried to get Brian T. to return, but Brian was previously engaged. Leighton H. was out of town at a Treasure Show. Luke B. was working. That left me, I was the only RingFinder in the area that could break away in time to help John and I did.
It seams like getting the time of loss and height of tide is getting difficult to equate “waist deep” to the loss of a ring in the waters of Cape Cod Bay. John had done as I asked and spread a few coins in the area he had lost his wedding band. I started to find the coins almost immediately, this should be easy. No it was not. I had gridded both parallel and perpendicular to the water’s edge without success in finding John’s ring. But I had found all the coins John had spread “in the area” his ring slipped from his finger.
I had enlarged the area both ways on the beach and it would be very unlikely I would have “missed” the ring. Next I started a diagonal pattern. I started low to high on the beach and when the first half of the area had been searched, I started on the second half and bout ¾ of the way thru the triangle I went a bit further up the slope by about 5 feet, made a turn to go back down and there it was, the signal that I had been waiting for about 2 hours. I took one shallow scoop in the sand and John’s ring was now in my scoop, waiting for John to take it out.
John knew the routine from last year’s experience. I took the ring’s picture then one of John and the ring for the Book of Smiles. A book not too many people want to be in let alone twice for the same reason at the same beach but gladly both times had the same outcome.
Until next Labor Day…stay well, buy and wear a silicon band that will keep your wedding band on your finger at the beach or Davy Jones just might outsmart the next RingFinder. It is doubtful, but it could happen.

September 11, 2026
While I was outside doing some needed yard work a Text Message was left on my phone.
“I am on the west Dennis beach and I just lost my ring. It was mom’s wedding/engagement ring. She passed away in April. We are on vacation and are supposed to head back tomorrow.”
I knew I had to go and find this ring, a ring her mother wore for 66 years, ASAP.
I was on the beach about 45 minutes after calling Kristen. At the beach the necessary information was obtained. My bad was in thinking the tied was on the rise, it was really on the way out. To add to my problem was the locations I was given. At first they were to the west of the chair on the beach and out, then it moved to the east of the chair and closer in. Had the tide was on the rise I would have to search further out to be at the point Kristen was when she lost the ring. That is the way it went for about two hours. John had to leave and take their dog home. Kristen stayed and told me she thought I should be more to the west but closer in…the search went on and the sunset told me I should think about coming back in the morning’s low tide.
Kristen was almost off the beach and I was going to be very close behind. That’s when I heard the sound I was searching for: the low sharp tone of gold. Yes, it was the diamond white gold ring I had been searching for. Even before leaving the ankle deep water (it was now low tide) I shouted out “Kristen”. In hopes I had found her ring she sprinted to me, saw the ring in my scoop. WOW, another grateful person. I love it when I can return an item before a person had to sleep on the tragedy overnight.
In the parking lot Kristen told me about the fun in the surf and on the sand of West Dennis Beach since her early childhood. Many of the memories of those years with her parents had brought her back to the very area of the beach we were on.

On Wednesday September 2, 2026, and just before 8 p.m., I received a phone call from Kenneth saying he had lost a silver engagement ring in the ocean. He continued by saying that he had proposed to his Fiancée, Alli and within a few seconds, he heard her say, “Oh NO!” when her ring had slipped off her finger at the edge of the water and disappeared. I got the address and was on my way.
When I arrived, I met Kenneth on the beach, and he showed me the area. The problem was it was Pitch Black outside, and he wasn’t sure of the exact location. So, I was looking at a pretty good size area. I started a grid search at what was thought to be the far north end of the area. After about an hour, I called it a night. I couldn’t see my grid lines and was just wandering aimlessly in hopes of hitting the ring with the Equinox 800. I told him I’d be there the next morning at low tide.
The next morning when I showed up, there was another guy detecting the area. I was confused and Kenneth said someone had responded to his post on Facebook and had been there since 5:30 a.m. When I talked to the guy, I found out he was a Ring Finder from NC and was on vacation. He had seen the post and thought he’d lend a hand in finding the ring. I got a better idea from Kenneth of where the ring was lost but it was apparent, by the scoop drag marks in the sand, that the area had already been searched. So, I did the top half of the beach with no luck. After a couple of hours of searching we called it. I wasn’t pleased with the results and had planned on redoing the area on another day.
I was busy for the next 2 days but was finally able to make it out on Sunday morning before low tide, 4 days after the loss. I started my normal east/west grid search, from the beach to the water, and at the southern point where Kenneth was positive they hadn’t been past. From the details Kenneth had given me, I knew the ring should be just above the low tide line, just not sure how far across the beach. Just around an hour of doing my grid search across the beach, I was about 15 feet out of the water and hit a loud and solid 21-22 on the Equinox VDI (visual display indicator). Those numbers told me there was silver under the coil. It took a couple of scoops, and the target was out of the hole. I spread the sand out with my foot and saw Kenneth’s silver engagement ring lying on the beach. I took a picture of his ring and sent it to him, then called him. He confirmed it was his. Tuesday, I got the ring in the mail back to where it belongs.
On Friday 9/11, Kenneth advised me he received his ring in the mail. The ring is back where it belongs safe and sound!
Kenneth – Thanks for calling me and allowing me to help find your lost treasure. I wish you and Alli all the best.
Jim
