Bay Area Ring Finder Tag | The Ring Finders

Lost Diamond Stud Earring…Found with a Dyson???

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
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The Bay Area Ring Finders Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

When you are « The Bay Area Ring Finder » and your wife looses her diamond stud earring…you had better find that thing!!!

With no fewer that 5 metal detectors, 2 sand scoops, multiple shovels, pin-pointers, a video-endoscope, and no shortage of other tools, trinkets, and gadgets for performing recoveries ALL laying around the house and the countless hours spent helping others, there would be no excuse I could think of for not locating this tiny precious stone for the love of my life!

When asked the when, where, and how, there would be few answers she could report.  Not a good start!  Suspected locations included the car, the couch, the master bedroom, and the bathroom.  My initial searches turned up nothing in the vehicle or the couch and I decided that if the diamond stud was going to turn up, it would not be the countless thousands of dollars of equipment that was going to find it.  Instead, it would be the trusty Dyson that was the tool of choice.  I systematically cleaned and vacuumed every surface I could find within the house over the course of several days.  Each canister was put into a rubber bin for investigation at a later time (I didn’t check each canister in an attempt to spur on my deep cleaning process).  Well, yesterday I felt like I achieved everything I could and took the rubber bin out for a look.  Visually nothing came up, but I ran the Equinox over it and it confirmed some sort of metallic object.  With a little more investigation… WE MADE THE RECOVERY!!!

   

The lesson learned in this case was this:  When any item is thought to be lost inside a home, it’s only with rolling up your sleeves and digging in that these items are found.  Metal detection equipment is not reliable equipment for the job and even though the video-endoscope might just be the ticket for some indoor searches, the key is just having a strong process to clean and organize anything in your path. A keen pair of twin optical scanners helps too.  Also, a reminder to never loose hope…there is always a chance!

And to my wife, I adore you and am so glad I was able to help you!  Thank you for indulging me the time and resources to provide this service!

The Bay Area Ring Finders Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

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Lost unique white gold ring with diamond…Found at Baker Beach!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
Contact:

The Bay Area Ring Finders Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

I contacted Debra early on Wednesday after reviewing a Craigslist post about a lost white gold ring with a diamond.  She had been on Baker Beach when the ring went missing and after talking with her I could tell that it was troubling her.

I sent her a link to THERINGFINDERS.COM site and agreed to search for the ring the following Saturday.  She agreed and was very thankful for my offer.  Later that evening my good friend Jes Muse, founder of The Bay Area Bleepers (check it out) sent over the post suggesting that I perform the search as she would be out of town.

I woke up at 4:30 Saturday morning, packed my gear, and made the hour drive to the coast.  When I arrived, there were few people on the beach and at one point I shared the beach with no one but three coyotes.  The fog was thick, so much so that it fell like rain and the sand had a thin wet layer on top.  I opened up a photo that Debra was kind enough to mark up of the area that would become the search zone.  The detecting was difficult with seemingly never ending targets hid beneath my grid pattern.  I cleared handfuls of trash from the beach as I searched.  And then, a ring!  Sadly not the ring I was there for, but a happy consolation.

After about two hours of searching, I decided to call Debra and give her an update and to get a better account of where she might have been.  As it turned out, I was working away from where she had been and after a 20 yard course correction and pockets full of trash, I hit an 8-9 VDI (visual display indicator) that sounded very promising on the equinox. In one scoop I had the item, but it had not revealed itself.  I’m happy to announce, WE MADE THE RECOVERY!!!

The exciting part was yet to come.  I took a few photographs of the ring and the beach and sent them on to Debra.  The next thing I did was gave her a call and when she answered I simply asked if she had gotten my photos.  She admitted she had not but went straight to them.  That is when I got my payout!!!  She was so extremely excited that I could feel it through the phone.  It’s a feeling like no other.

   

After our celebration over the phone, I agreed to drop off the ring on my way home.  She lived along the route I would travel home and I was excited to get to meet her.  I quickly packed the gear and 45 minutes later the ring was back with Mrs. Debra.

It takes a lot of trust for someone to disclose a bunch of details about their missing valuables, especially when they are so sentimental.  Thank you Debra for putting your trust in me to assist you in the recovery of your unique and beautiful ring and for your generosity!  It was a pleasure to meet you and I wish you the very best in your future!

   

The Bay Area Ring Finders Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

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14K White Gold Ring Lost at Shadow Cliffs…Found in 3 feet of water!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
Contact:

The Bay Area Ring Finders Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

On Memorial Day I received a message from Madison requesting help.  While spending the day with family at Shadow Cliffs, a man-made lake in Pleasanton, CA, he lost his wedding ring in 3 to 4 feet of water.  Shadow Cliffs is part of the East Bay Regional Parks District, and they require a special permit for detecting.  I have always carried this permit, but it comes with some red tape.  Specifically, it does not allow for metal detectors to enter the water.  I informed Madison that I would request special permission from the park manager before we could schedule this search.  The park team was great and very accommodating!

With permission to enter the water and permit in-hand Madison and I met at the lake to perform the search.  It was a beautiful, warm day and we were both excited to get into the water and recover the ring.  He walked us out to chest deep water and stated that he thought that the ring was lost at this spot.  A 15 minute hasty search turned up a few dimes and no rings.  The best news was that there was not a lot of trash to contend with.  A grid was established working parallel to the shore line first in deeper water working towards the shallows.  I informed Madison that I believed that the ring would hit between 12 to 14 on my Equinox 800, but would investigate every signal to « clear it » from the grid.  With each target, I could see the anticipation in Madison, but he was a good sport each time we pulled up what was not his ring.

 

At one point after being in the water an hour or so, we questioned the position of the area and the depth of water.  We moved to more shallow water and it wasn’t to long before…WE MADE THE RECOVERY! It took three attempts to get the 14k white gold band into the scoop but I just knew that the 13-14 signal and perfect tone was our sought after prize.  When I noticed that Madison had not seen me recover the ring I moved closer and asked him to describe the ring again and if it had « looked like this! »  The instantaneous smile appeared that makes performing these recoveries so great and he said he could hug me, to which I leaned in for the embrace!

Once back on the sand beach I took some obligatory photos and we walked down to the lifeguards who had been interested in our activities.  The lifeguards had doubted the success of our venture and were excited for our victory. Then he and I stared out at the water for a bit and talked.  Madison was just the sort of guy I’d like to know.  He was patient, kind, and thoughtful and seemed like a great father.  Thank you Madison for trusting in me to assist you with your ring recovery.  I very much enjoyed your company and conversation while we took this journey!  Best Wishes!

 

 

The Bay Area Ring Finders Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

Now offering Metal Detecting, Video Endoscope, and Magnet Fishing services!

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Golden Pearl Earring Lost at Danville School…Found with Metal Detector!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
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The Bay Area Ring Finders Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

On the Hawaiian Islands there are no shortage of kiosks and jewelry shops where one can pick out your own clam and harvest a pearl.  These shops allow you to also pick out and set your newly harvested pearl into ring’s, pendant’s, and of course a pair of earrings.  They make a great souvenir from what most likely was a memorable trip to the islands.

This story started roughly 8 years early, when a young 8 year old girl did exactly that.  The pearls where mounted into a pair of very cute golden turtle earrings.  These earrings over the years became prized possessions, memories of a great family trip to the beautiful islands.  So, when the young teenager was spending outdoor time with her family over the holiday weekend and lost one of these earrings, it was deflating. The teen pleaded for her parent to find some way of recovering the lost item.

Being caring and intelligent parents, they discovered THERINGFINDERS.COM and contacted it’s local operative.  This proved to be a huge win for the family and the lost golden turtle.  Once we met at the Danville, CA school field it wouldn’t take more that 20 minutes to MAKE THE RECOVERY!  You see, we were able to run the metal detector over the mate of the lost earring and knew the exact signal we would be looking for.  True to form, after a number of passes in our grid search the earring was returned to the appreciative family.

Special thanks to the family for entrusting me with this search!

The precious Hawaiian souvenir!

An appreciative father!

The scene of the incident!

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The Bay Area Ring Finders Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

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Lost 14K Diamond Wedding Band…Found at Baker Beach!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
Contact:

The Bay Area Ring Finders Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

Luis and I walked down the beach and into the tidal zone.  He stuck a stick in the sand and said, « I was standing right here.  I threw the football in that direction and felt the ring come off.  I saw it in my peripheral vision for a brief moment, then it was gone! » And so the search was on!

Three days earlier the event took place and he had made a number of attempts to find his 14K white gold ring with inset diamonds.  He even posted a Lost and Found ad on Craigslist to seek out help.  It was at this time I got involved by sending him a link to THERINGFINDERS.COM site and offering up assistance. Up until then, the only correspondence had been through an email and a few short text messages.  He later admitted to being a bit skeptical that the ring could be recovered.  I, however, was packed and ready for the hour long trip to the coast knowing that the next day a storm would hit the area decreasing the chances of a positive outcome.  Having a meeting for work and little confidence that the ring could be located, Luis text me to call off the search effort.  I text him back.  « Don’t give up just yet…unless someone else found it, it is still there! »

Those words changed the course of the search and breathed new energy into Luis.  We spoke for a few minutes on the phone and we were back on track to meet up an hour later that evening.

We set up a grid of the area just in front of the placed stick.  I worked East-West from the shore to the water first.  I armed Luis with a pin-pointer and he meticulously scanned the area directly in front of the stick. I had completed the grid and decided to turn and work North-South while also expanding the grid.  I was less than 12 feet to the right of the stick Luis had placed.  This was the area that the ring should have been, but had not been discovered on the East-West grid.  I got a perfect signal about 6 to 8 inches down.  A perfect 10 VDI for the Nox 800 in Beach 1.  Moments later Luis and I were giving each other a high-five…  We had MADE THE RECOVERY!

It was almost sunset, the wind was picking up and the temperature was dropping.  The moments after the recovery were exciting and it was beautiful at the beach.  We talked and celebrated a bit before returning to the car to head home.

Luis had done a number of things that contributed to a successful recovery.  When the ring came off, he didn’t immediately panic.  He and his friend took notice of their surroundings and Luis, after 3 days, was able to put me less than 12 feet from the ring despite an enormous beach. The other thing that was critical was to seek help.  Luis has stated several times that the right equipment in the right hands was the recipe for success.  Thank you Luis for trusting in me and my process.  It was great to meet you and I wish you the very best in the future!

Luis moments after the recovery!

The ring back in it’s correct place.

The custom 14K white gold band with inset diamonds

A beautiful setting for the recovery!

Working the Grid in front of the placed stick!

A happy couple with both their custom matching rings!

The Bay Area Ring Finders Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

Now offering Metal Detecting, Video Endoscope, and Magnet Fishing services!

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Lost Gold Heirloom Ring…Recovered in Danville, CA

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
Contact:

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

I was contacted by Andrea and her family in Danville, CA.  Her father was wearing his fathers gold heirloom ring while performing work on a sump pump at their home.  Later that evening it was realized that the rather large ring was missing and over the next few days they would search high and low for the ring.  They had even purchased a metal detector to aid in their search.

Their best search they performed was online for help when they stumbled upon THERINGFINDERS.COM website.  My information was found and they contacted me on Wednesday.  After a brief conversation about their situation, I agreed to come have a look the next afternoon.

We searched a few possible locations including the pump house area, the backyard, and a few places within the home.  The ring had not been found and as a last ditch effort we decided to search the family vehicles he had driven that day.  The first two vehicles produced no new results, but when Andrea opened the car door for the third and final vehicle, she immediately recognized the ring resting between the seat and the door right below the seat adjustment controls.  We had made the recovery!!!

You could tell that this ring was extremely important to the family, a connection to their families past and a reminder of the man who once wore the ring.  I was glad to play even the smallest of parts extending the story behind the item and assisting a kind and appreciative family!

A happy client with his fathers heirloom gold ring!

A rather large gold heirloom ring that once belonged to his father.

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

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Diamond Engagement/Wedding Ring lost in lake…Recovered in Foster City, CA!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
Contact:

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

Saedah was in an obvious panic when she lost her diamond engagement/wedding ring off the deck and into the lake at a Bay Area restaurant!  She admitted to locating THERINGFINDERS.COM website and proceeding to contact just about every member in the Bay Area for help.  Once word got to me, the idea of performing only my 2nd request for a water recovery this year was appealing.  It was late in the evening and I wouldn’t be available until mid-day the following afternoon, but I agreed to sign on to the task.

The details as to where the ring fell into the lake were really good, however the depth was left a bit ambiguous.  Not knowing this piece of the puzzle, I packed an enormous amount of equipment for the recovery.  When I showed up to the location I used a tape measure to check the depth of the water near the site Saedah noted the ring was lost.  It was just under 5 feet in depth but dropped off steep.  I decided to make an attempt without a ton of gear and took just a scoop and the Equinox 800.  I located a CLOSED for CONSTRUCTION boat dock to access the water from and slid into the water.  Making it half the distance to the location of the missing diamond ring, I turned back to grab a mask and snorkel.

Once in the location underneath where Saedah and friends were sitting prior to the loss of the ring, it took only seconds to recover it.  We had MADE THE RECOVERY!!!

As I emerged from the lake with my gear and the missing ring, patrons of the restaurant clapped and congratulated me.  The manager stated that a lot of phones, rings, eating utensils and other things often end up in the lake along the deck, but this was the first time he had heard of anything being recovered.  I sent Saedah a picture of the ring and then called… she was overjoyed that the ring was found and safe and set out to meet me at the location.  This was an excellent way to start the weekend!

I wanted to thank Saedah for trusting me with the recovery of her meaningful and precious ring.  And also to all of the other Ring Finders who helped point her in my direction!  I consider this a win for all of us, Thank you!

The boat dock from which I entered the water and the deck the missing ring was lost off of.

Freshly recovered from the lake!

The recovered ring!

The Diamond Engagement/Wedding ring!

Saedah with her ring back where it belonged.

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

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14K Gold Heirloom Ring lost at UC Campus…FOUND!!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
Contact:

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

It was late afternoon Saturday that I received a message regarding a lost 14K gold ring lost on the UC Berkeley campus.  At my earliest convenience I contacted Mike back to get the scoop.  He had already found a metal detector to purchase and was on his way back to the scene of the missing ring.  I was happy to give him a few pointers on metal detecting and bid him well wishes.  I told him to let me know if he wasn’t successful and I could head that direction either that evening, or early the next afternoon.

Later that evening I got another text regarding the missing ring.  A request was made for a search the following day.  To this end, I was glad to assist.

The following morning I had T-ball with two of my boys, but afterwards we picked up some snacks and headed to Berkeley for a treasure hunt, picnic, and some romping around the park.  We met Michael and he briefed me on the events leading up to the missing ring.

While taking a break from his Masters degree he met up at the park with friends for a meal.  Mike had removed the ring to clean his hands and rested the ring on his leg.  Moments later, he got up and the ring dropped away into the tall grass.  After having no success with friends locating the ring, another friend located THERINGFINDERS.COM website and hence my contact information.  His back up plan was to locate a metal detector for sale and come back to find the ring himself.  He was fast to find one and was back searching quickly.  He admitted that nerves and frustration set in quickly with all the nobs and noises the machine was making, as well as not quickly locating the ring.

I gave him 4 cones to define the perimeter of the search zone which was quiet small and we got started with the grid search. I can attest that the ground was quite noisy with targets.  I informed him that the ring would indeed be on the surface and ring in between 14 and 20 on my Equinox.

Less than 5 minutes into our search I got a beautiful signal that came up as an 18 VDI.  I told Michael we had his ring before we ever set eyes on it, an sure enough… »we made the recovery! »

Mike gave me a huge hug and was extremely relieved to have the ring back.  Thank you Mike, it was a great way to spend my afternoon and I wish you all the best in your future.

The boys and I stayed on and picnicked in the park and climbed some trees… It was a beautiful day!

14K Gold Heirloom Ring

A relieved Michael with ring back where it belongs.

The ring peeking through the tall grass after discovery.

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

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Beautiful Gold Ring with Diamonds Lost at Baker Beach…FOUND!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
Contact:

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590 

Mishkin admitted to me at the end of this story that she doubted that we would find and recover her ring lost the previous evening at Baker Beach in California.  I’m excited to share this story for a number of reasons. First, for it’s success as always. Second, because it’s kind of a beautiful tale. Lastly…this marked my 25 ring recovery!  This was a milestone that I had set for myself earlier this year, one that at the time seemed far off and yet feels amazing to achieve.  I’m a year and 6 months into my membership with THERINGFINDERS.COM team and I have really enjoyed my experiences helping people like Mishkin…Let’s get back to her story…

It starts with a sunset marriage proposal on Baker Beach in the shadows of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.  It’s a very high point in the story. However the story takes a tragic turn when a ring Mishkin is wearing on her hand is removed to make way for a new engagement ring. It somehow falls, and in an instant is swallowed up by the sandy beach.  The excitement of the proposal now is stained by the loss of another cherished ring.  The couple attempts to locate the ring but is forced to leave it behind.

The next morning, while sailing the high seas on a pirate ship in an exciting game of make-believe with my boys, Mishkin contacted me to ask for help.  The request was made to meet the couple back at Baker Beach at 5pm.  Our pretend treasure hunt and « Privateering » venture would materialize into something real later that evening.  There was no way I was going out on this call without my crew!

We met Mishkin at 5pm in the parking lot and made our decent down to the beach.  In the midst of leftover rose pedals and flowers from the prior evening, the couple assisted me in setting out some cones to establish some initial boundaries for the search zone.  I began working a grid pattern while the couple, working together, reestablished some of their previously set boundaries. I stopped and asked if they thought that the new area was a more likely location, to which they answered « yes ».  And indeed they were right, on my second line in the new grid…WE MADE THE RECOVERY!!!

The couple was in disbelief when I walked up to ask if this was what they were looking for with the ring in hand. Disbelief turned to excitement! That is when Miskin admitted that she had doubted the success of the search and had explained that later that night she would be on a plane back to the East Coast. I had no idea how dire the situation must have felt to her until that point.  I, on the other hand, was full of confidence and anticipation knowing that this would mark my 25th ring recovery and I would be accomplishing a goal set earlier in the year almost 3 months early.

As always, thank you Mishkin for allowing me to take part in this beautiful story.  I wish you both a very happy future!

The missing ring.

The happy couple.

Obligatory detector shot.

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590 

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Platinum Mens Ring Lost in Berkeley, CA….Found!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
Contact:

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590 

On Sunday August 27th, I had the pleasure to assist Fred with his lost Platinum Ring.  Due to the nature of the call and the information he provided, this would be as quick and simple as you like.  He was removing some plants from his front garden when the ring went amiss.  There were only three small locations the ring could possibly be when I arrived.  Within 5 minutes of being onsite Fred had his Platinum ring back. A VDI of 11-12 and good tone meant « WE MADE THE RECOVERY!!! »

He and I had a pleasant chat about metal detectors, metal detecting, and permits for certain parks in the Bay Area.  He had thought about renting a metal detector prior to finding our THERINGFINDERS.COM site.  Additionally, he called a neighbor who had recently lost a hearing aid in their backyard a few blocks away.  Fred was already shopping my services and spreading the word.

Thank you Fred, I’m happy everything worked out as it did, and it was nice to have met your acquaintance.

Fred’s Platinum Ring back where it belongs.

 

The Platinum Ring

 

The hiding spot!

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590 

 

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