Bay Area Ring Finders Tag | The Ring Finders

Recovering a lost gold wedding band at an Alameda beach!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)

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

Three successful recoveries in 24 hours!!!

When Abel contacted me about a lost gold wedding band at a beach in Alameda, I had just sat down to dinner after performing two other recoveries within the East Bay.  It would be dark soon and I elected to perform the search the following day.

I met he and his wonderful wife on the beach on the kind of day California dreams are made of.  He gave me a brief run down on how he had lost the ring in the dry sand and was able to recover it, but when he took it to the waters edge to wash the sand away, the ring again disappeared into the sand.  Abel had apparently purchased a cheaper detector to search, but was unsuccessful.

I had little doubt that if the ring was there, I would have it quickly.  He was so absolute on where he had lost it that I knew something was wrong when after 15 minutes it had not revealed itself.  To my surprise, Abel moved me fifty feet further up the beach and there I swung over a perfect sounding 20 VDI on the Manticore.  Before I even took the scoop, I informed the two of them that we had found it!  With one large scoop with the CKG Pro Titanium…We had made the recovery!!!

Abel and his wife were stunned and admitted they didn’t think it was likely to be found.  I on the other hand, never had any doubt, and just like that…#78.  It was a pleasure to meet you both and I have nothing but the best wishes for your future.  Thank you.

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

Titanium Wedding Band lost In the Delta…Recovered!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)

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

After an exciting baby shower the day prior, Nina and her family spent the day on a little beach on Sherman Island in the delta.  The day was beautiful and the weather perfect.  That was, until Nina’s husband Chris lost his titanium wedding band when playing with his nephews in the water.  He was extremely disappointed to say the least and a dark cloud loomed over an otherwise perfect weekend.

I was made aware of the incident and agreed to perform a search the following day.  Water recoveries in the summer are always a welcome escape from warm inland temperatures, but this day was very windy and the water was choppy, not ideal for searching.

None the less, my boys and I made our way out into the water and started the process of locating the missing ring.  A number of objects in the water meant that this area most likely had never seen a detector.  Bottle caps, pull tabs (some very old), lead weights all made for a noisy and busy search.  I could tell with every piece of trash we pulled and minutes passing that Nina was losing hope.

When I recovered the ring I knew that Nina and her sister had not noticed.  I gave it to my oldest boy to take to the beach like all the other trash we recovered, but this time he asked, « did the ring look like this? »  Confused the two looked at the ring then all at once realized… We had Made The Recovery!

A celebration ensued and I even allowed myself to have a celebratory White Claw with my new friends.  I learned all about the two’s courtship, marriage, and the new special package about to bless their lives.  It was a joyous time and I was glad I got to take part in their story, however small my part was. It was a pleasure to meet you Nina and we wish you the very best!

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

A botanist lost her keys at Tilden Park and we helped to recover them!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)

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

I have fallen victim to misplacing my car keys just at my home, panic set’s in quickly once you realize…. I can’t imagine how hopeless it would feel to loose them out in nature while on a hike.

Meet Cody, a botanist who spends a lot of time working outdoors. Recently, while working at one of our local regional parks, she did just that.  Her vehicle parked merely feet away from her task, locked out from access and unable to move off of the trail.  Her work had her bushwhacking amongst the park flora investigating if rare species existed around a 100′ circumference of a work point.  Think tall grass, twisting berry vines and poison oak, thick brush and tree’s.  To make matters worse thick duff and leaves and remnants of old building materials litter the ground.  At some point her keys slipped from her possession lost to the wild.

Lucky for Cody, a spare set of keys could be driven from her home not to far from the site and she would not be forced to abandon her vehicle at the location.  She spent a healthy amount of time searching the area before deciding she might need additional help in order to recover the lost keys.

I was away on a camping trip with the local cub scout pack when I received her request for help, but she graciously waited a full week for our schedule to align.  We met early the following Saturday and headed out on the trail to the location.  I might have been a little overwhelmed when I saw the search zone, but we quickly got to work bushwhacking our way through the overgrowth.  We did find some oddities along the way and trash definitely made the metal detector chatty.  I found a neatly made bird nest nestled on the ground with four little eggs.  It was not the item we were looking for, but it was a treasure non-the-less.

We were under a grove of tree’s searching and as we moved off, there on the ground were the keys we were looking for…We made the recovery!

Cody and I celebrated that we had located them and that we would not be trudging along the overgrown hillside any longer.  All that remained were a few quick photos and a short walk back to the trailhead.

Thank you Cody for taking me on an early morning adventure in the hills.  I won’t soon forget our time on that search.

 

 

 

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

Gold Ring lost in Hayward, CA…Recovered!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)

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

Our first ring recovery of 2025 came while I was providing First Aid support for a Cub Scout knife safety/whittling class for our Pack.  I had received a call for assistance in Hayward, CA to locate a yellow gold chain ring lost in tall grass along a trail.  I informed them that I was committed for another two hours but would head their direction shortly thereafter.  I had them text me an address and informed them I would let them know when I was on my way and again when I was 10 minutes out.

My two older boys would accompany me to provide assistance and loaded their detector as we made for the location.  It took just under an hour to reach the site and a short 3 minute walk put us in the target area.  I provided some orange soccer cones for them to define the search area as I prepared our detectors. I was excited when my oldest boy got a promising hit on his Vanquish 540.  Upon further inspection it was found to be spectacle frames for a pair of glasses.  Moments later, I got a great signal on the 800 (12-14) and when pinpointed…we had made the recovery!!!

It was a beautiful day and I had almost wished it took a bit longer to locate while spending time with the boys among the tall Kelly green grass of the East Bay hills.

 

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

 

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

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)

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

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

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)

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!

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

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)

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!

Follow us on Instagram for more treasures and adventures!

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

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

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)

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!

Lost Gold Heirloom Ring…Recovered in Danville, CA

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)

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

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

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)

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