lost ring Tag | Page 35 of 167 | The Ring Finders

Lost 18K Gold and Diamond Cross Necklace, Indian Rocks Beach, Fl….Found and Returned A Year Later!!!

  • from Dunedin (Florida, United States)

 


Steve Thomas

Dunedin Ring Finder

Lost a ring or other metal valuable at the beach or in a grassy or sandy area? Jewelry slip off of you while working outside, playing with the dog or swimming? Please call me ASAP at (843) 995-4719. I offer a free metal detecting service, reward optional but appreciated upon recovery!

Connor was riding some waves with friends at Indian Rocks Beach in early June of last year. While out in the rough waters that day, he lost his 18K gold necklace given to him by his father along with a gold cross studded with diamonds that had been added to the necklace. Connor and his mother Cathy found me through social media and asked me if I could help them find the necklace as they had been unable to find someone closer to help. Even though that is outside my normal service area, I agreed to coordinate a search.

I arrived at the scene later that same day and entered the water along with Connor and a friend of his. I searched for several hours in the rough water up to my neck with Connor and his friend assisting in scooping targets but I was unsuccessful. I returned the next day and searched again in the rough water but again no necklace. A few days later, I returned once again along with my metal detecting buddy Jim and we hunted for a few hours, expanding my original search area each time. About 10 days later, still in June of 2022, Jim and I searched again for a few hours to no avail. Over the course of the four searches, Jim and I found plenty of beer caps, pull tabs, a few coins and fishing weights, even some “junk” jewelry but not the big gold target we were looking for. It was always disappointing to update Connor’s mom Cathy with the bad news. In July and August, I tried to set up a search with an excellent water detectorist friend named Shawn who could also scuba search but we were never able to match schedules. Jim and I went back to Indian Rocks Beach for one last search in early October but once again we were unsuccessful. By that time and after five searches, I assumed that we were not looking in the correct area for the necklace or it had moved from the search area. It was also possible that we had just not passed our detectors close enough to the target or even that some other detectorist had found it but I thought that was much less likely because of how much time we had spent in the water.

Fast forward to July of 2023. Out of the blue, Cathy sent me a card telling me once again how much she appreciated what I and my fellow Ring Finders do to help people find their lost jewelry. Then here’s where the story really gets interesting. Two months later, in early September, I was at Honeymoon Island with my wife, daughter and grandson when I noticed someone metal detecting. I went up to him to introduce myself and realized that I was speaking to a fellow detectorist named Scott who I only knew through some texts we had exchanged as he and I and another detectorist named Brenda were trying to help someone find their lost wedding band at Honeymoon Island a number of months back. As Scott and I spoke, he told me that he had only been detecting about a year and a half and his best find had been a gold necklace with a cross at Indian Rock Beach last August (2022). I was stunned! I told him that I was searching for something like that last summer and found the photo on my phone that showed Connor wearing his necklace and said “does it look like this”? Scott said “that’s exactly what I found” and later showed me a photo taken the day he found it. We then confirmed that it was in the same area Jim and I had searched five times last year! Scott told me that he had sold the cross to a friend of his named Shannon who had moved out of the area but still had the necklace. Scott later asked me for Cathy and Connor’s contact info and I knew then that he was going to make every effort to get the cross back from Shannon and return the necklace. About a week and a half later and after Shannon sold the cross back to Scott so the entire necklace could be returned to Connor, the necklace was back on a happy Connor’s neck! He had already purchased a replacement but he promised to wear it as an every day and save the one given to him by his father for special occasions!

Cathy and Connor, thank you for trusting me to search for Connor’s necklace and your show of appreciation. Thanks to Shannon for being willing to make sure the cross was returned to its owner. And Scott, a huge thanks to you for having the heart of a Ring Finder and for being led to do the right thing, returning your best find! I have a feeling you will be rewarded with many great finds in your future! And I’m extremely thankful for the Divine intervention that led Scott and me to meet that day on Honeymoon Island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gold Wedding Ring Recovered – Chapel Hill!

  • from Raleigh (North Carolina, United States)

I got a text from a very nice woman in Chapel Hill, saying that she had lost her wedding ring and asked if I could help her find it. She had parked her car at the neighbor’s house (long story), and walked through a short section of woods to get to her house.

I scoured the woods and areas where she said she’d been, but no ring. I decided to expand the search area in all four directions and after another 20 minutes or so, found the ring well hidden under some leaves. Not entirely sure how the ring got to where I found it, because she said she had stayed on the path (the ring was a good 8-10 ft away);

I returned the ring to her, but wasn’t quite prepared for the joy she showed when I gave her the ring. A little teary eyed, she explained that it was a family heirloom and she’d been sick over the loss. To say that she was happy to have it back on her finger is an understatement.

Glad to be able to get the ring back where it belongs! Another Happy Ending!

 

Gold Diamond Engagement Ring and Matching Band Lost, Recovered and Returned outside Wilmington, DE!

  • from Philadelphia (Pennsylvania, United States)

Thanks for the referral from fellow Ring Finder, John Favano. Judy and Tom got in touch with me to help them locate Judy’s lost diamond engagement ring and matching wedding band. This is one of those ring finding missions where you’re thinking you have a slim chance of being successful in finding. Judy and Tom went to a local winery the day before where they met some friends and relaxed in a grassy outdoor space….both the area where they parked and sat were basically grassy fields. Judy knew she left the house with her rings on….and when she got home later…they were both missing off her hand. Unfortunately she had no recollection of taking them off or noticing when they were missing while at the winery. She did say that sometimes while her husband was driving she would take her rings off to moisturize her hands. So i figured the best chance would be checking where they parked…assuming Judy took off the rings, put on her lap in car, forgot to put back on…then got out of car. If I didn’t find in parking area I would proceed to area where they sat in grassy fields…then continue to scan the entire area. I met Tom at the winery and he had a good idea of where they exactly parked …I set my machine to just target gold signals…and began to scan the parking area. Within 2 minutes I received a surface gold signal on my machine…looked down…there it was! The diamond engagement ring! I bent down picked it up…searched with my eyes for the band. No luck. Grabbed my machine and 6 inches from where I found the diamond ring I got another surface gold signal. After pushing the deep grass away….there it was…the band! How happy I am to come through for this very nice couple!

 

Quick Ring Return in Rockford IL

  • from Rockford (Illinois, United States)

 

I received a call from Santiago around 3:30 p.m. as I was getting off of work.  He told me that he had just lost his wedding ring in his backyard while raking. He told me that he felt it come off and just couldn’t locate it.  I arrived at his house around 5:30. He took me into his backyard and showed me the area where he felt the ring slip off of his finger.  He had recently removed a swimming pool and the area was all sand. First hit was a rusty bolt, the second signal was a solid 13 on the Equinox.  I pushed the pinpointer into the soft sand and exposed the edge of his ring! Probably less than 2 minutes!

Another smile for the book!!

 

Dave MacDonald, Carpinteria Ringfinder, Recovers 5 Lost Rings at Carpinteria State Beach

  • from Santa Barbara (California, United States)
Dave MacDonald, Carpinteria Ringfinder, Recovers 5 Lost Rings at Carpinteria State Beach
Yesterday afternoon, I received a frantic call from Jenny, her voice trembling as she described losing not one, but five precious rings at Carpinteria State Beach. She’d tucked them into her beach bag before a swim, only to discover they were gone when she got home. As Dave MacDonald, your trusted Carpinteria Ringfinder and Santa Barbara Ringfinder, I knew time was critical. I grabbed my Equinox 900 metal detector and headed out to reunite Jenny with her treasures.
Jenny shared photos of her beach spot, which became our starting point. At first, our search through the dry sand turned up nothing but trash. Undeterred, I suggested a closer look at her pictures. Using my phone camera, we compared the images to the landscape, realizing we’d misjudged the location. With this new insight, we shifted our focus—a key move for any lost ring Carpinteria recovery.
Minutes after adjusting our search area, the Equinox 900 lit up with signals. In a small patch of sand, the first ring emerged, followed by the rest—one by one, like buried treasure. Within moments, all five of Jenny’s rings were back in her hands, her relief palpable. This success showcases why I’m proud to serve as the Montecito Ringfinder and beyond, turning heartbreak into happy endings.
Lost a Ring in Carpinteria, Montecito, or Santa Barbara? Call Dave Now!
Whether it’s a lost ring Carpinteria, a missing piece in Montecito, or jewelry gone astray in Santa Barbara, I’m here to help. Visit davetheringfinder.com or call/text Dave MacDonald Ringfinder at 805-290-5009 for expert recovery services. From Carpinteria State Beach to private backyards, my proven metal detection skills deliver results. Don’t wait—act fast to reclaim your cherished items.
Lost jewelry stressing you out? Contact Santa Barbara Ringfinder Dave MacDonald at 805-290-5009 or explore davetheringfinder.com for swift, professional help.

 

Ring set recovered in Oconto County Lake

  • from Green Bay (Wisconsin, United States)

My fellow Ring Finder friend, Jeff Wettstein received a voicemail on Tuesday, August 22nd, about 9:45 PM
from Judy sharing that her mother lost her wedding ring in the water by her lake home in Oconto County.

He called her that evening to learn the specifics like how was lost, where it was lost, asking
“Are you sure she lost the ring in the lake?…etc. Judy’s mother is 95 years young and still swims in the
lake with a pool noodle and does have some memory loss. Jeff learned that Judy’s brother from Virginia
was visiting and had been with their mother during the time she was swimming. He also learned the ring
was lost the last week of July…about 3 weeks before Jeff received the call to see if he would be willing to
do the recovery. Jeff was sent a picture of the ring.  It turned out to be a two-ring set, wedding and engagement, soldered together, worn since 1955, which made it even more imperative to be found.

Jeff carefully searched the shallow area first for about 5 hours covering all he could before the water was over his head.  He  found all the usual suspects of junk, a few coins, and a mood ring.    Jeff received more details from Judy’s brother on the path where “Mom” swam. He mentioned to Judy that he would come back another day and would dive for it.

Jeff then reached out to me and asked if I would be willing to participate in diving for the ring since it was not in shallow water.  Jeff has a hookah pump and 60-foot hoses, so we don’t need SCUBA tanks, though we are both certified divers. The regulators and buoyancy compensator (bc) vests are the same as SCUBA, as well as the masks and weights.  One person must stay « up top » to make sure the compressor is operating and the air hose is guarded from curious boaters and jet skiers.

 (They should stay 100′ away, but they don’t always.)I let air out of my vest, but couldn’t go down. It turned out I needed 18 pounds of lead to sink, and I used to need 12, which means I’m fatter, or maybe it was the extra neoprene vest. So, a few more lead shot bags tucked into my bc pockets, and I was ready to work!
We sank a search grid and covered her path, moving the grid after each full sweep. She had swum from their dock to their swimming raft to clean the cobwebs off of it. maybe 60 feet or so.

The water was between 8 and 10 feet deep, and I was submerged at least two hours. I liked it down there, but was searching blind because the silt billowed up. It was all by feel and sound. I followed the white grid pvc pipe with one hand and pressed a metal detecting coil into the lake bed with the other, waving it back and forth. There weren’t many signals, but you have be thorough. After a few false alarms, a nail and a few cans, I heard a signal near the raft and started feeling for it in the silt with my fingers. The signal kept sinking through the pudding, then slowed it’s decent

Re-united!

The beautiful recovered ring set!

The dive team, mom, and daughter.

when it hit thicker layers of mud. I lost it twice, then it stabilized about 18 inches deep in some cold clay. I started grabbing for it and waving handfuls of clay over my coil, hoping the signal wouldn’t sink too deep to recover. Finally, my fist beeped, so I knew something was in there, and it felt like a ring set. I finned to the surface to examine the object in the sun, and there it was! Jeff presented it to the family. Everyone was smiling, so our day was made!

Wedding Ring Found for Owner, Old Silver Beach, Falmouth, MA

  • from Falmouth (Massachusetts, United States)
Contact:

Labor Day ended on a depressing note for John, who lost his year-old wedding ring in chest-deep water a couple of hundred feet offshore.  I received a call from him in early evening, asking if I was ‘the ring finder’ and if I could search for his ring.  I of course said that I would, but it would have to be the next day as we were entertaining holiday guests.  We met at the beach near low tide the following day and I did a 2-hour search in the area where John felt that he’d lost the ring.  I called a halt as it was getting dark but I told John I’d be back the next day to expand the search area.  On reflection, he thought maybe he’d been somewhat farther south when the ring slipped from his finger, so I planned to work that area when I returned.  After about an hour of searching that area the next day, I got a sweet booming signal that cried out ‘RING’ and soon had John’s hefty wedding band in my scoop.  With a call to John, we agreed to meet at the beach the next morning, and I had the great pleasure of being able to give John his beautiful ring and share in the joy of its return.  Another great day for The Ring Finders!

 

John’s buttery gold ring.

 

Definitely a lead contender in the book of smiles.

 

John’s ring, back where it belongs.

First Encounter Beach Wellfleet, MA Lost Wedding Band Lost, Found, and Returned

  • from Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States)

September 3, 2023: Not all returns can be accomplished within minutes. The one bit of information that has the most effect on the length of time it takes one to find the target is when the person that suffered the loss tells us were the loss took place. For example “I was in waist deep water, right here!” Well the loss took place three hours ago and the tide has risen or fallen. That being so, the “right here” could be 10 or more feet away. Likewise the time the loss happened. Also what the person was doing when the loss happened, i.e. throwing a football, riding on a lawn mower, swimming laps etc. As with losses in water can also be applied to losses on the land or sand of a beach.

Well whatever kept Luke from finding a man’s wedding band in salt water, he did not find the ring in 6 hours of searching. Sunburned, exhausted and prior engagements ended the search prematurely. Before leaving the beach he called me for a bit of assistance. I had just left from a ring return in which I was successful in finding the ring in under 5 minutes. That is another story. With the approval from my wife after promising a Fish and Chips dinner she said “Lets go get number 2 for the day”.

I was fortunate that the tide had gone out and the believed area of loss was on the set sand area of the beach. I started searching were I thought Waist Deep Water would have been 6 hours previously. I gridded the area in ever lengthening passes as I progressed toward the water and closer to were I was told was the likely area of loss. Some 90 minutes went by with only three other targets being retrieved I found the ring under an inch of sand.

The story of how the ring was “lost” was relayed to me and I have quoted here.

“We were enjoying our first visit to First Encounter(Beach) with a family-friends. We were passing the football with their son, Maximo.

Michael had no clue his ring fell off his finger until I passed (the football) to him and he looked down at his hand when he caught the ball and said “Uh oh…” That was at about 1 o’clock. At 1:08, I texted Luke asking for his help. Michael (and Luke) searched through the high tide for 6 hours, only getting out once. At 6:44, Slick Rick finally found (the ring) right around the area where Michael and I were playing catch!”

The sun was setting in a half an hour, just time for the tents to be taken down, packed into the car, watch the sunset and finally rinsing sand covered feet before driving out of the parking lot.

What would have helped would have been someone dropping a few coins, pull tabs, burring a couple of soda cans, anything metal so when a detectorist arrives they would be able to locate the correct area faster.

With all that happened on this day, nothing is more important than a lost sentimental belonging being found and returned to its owner. Stephanie and Michael had very kind words not only for me but Luke as well. Very big smiles were not only on their face but everyone’s face I passed on the way back to my car. And yes, my very patient wife did get the Fish and Chips dinner. This was a day I will remember forever.

 

Covell Beach, Centerville, MA Engagement Ring Lost, Found and Returned

  • from Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States)

September 3, 2023: Labor Day weekend was one of the best beach going days of the year and many were taking advantage of the calm seas and warm weather. So temping was the gentle water that Stephanie could not refuse a swim at high tide. OOPS…her engagement ring just slipped from her finger into the waters of Nantucket sound. As it always happens, several beach goers helped in the search to no avail. It was then time to call in TheRingFindrers.

I received the cal and within the hour I was suited up and ready for the search. A quick talk with Stephanie about the time of loss. I now knew what she was doing, were she was, how deep etc. About two hours had passed since the loss when Stephanie went to the spot she lost her ring. OK, I told her to stay there and I would search my way out to her. On the second pass in front of the beach full of onlookers I got a perfect signal from my detector, took one quick scoop and shook out the sand. There in the bucket was a brilliant sparkle, I had the ring.

Steve, Stephanie’s fiancee, was there looking into the scoop. I did not let him remove it as Stephanie was the one that “Lost” the ring, Steve had given it her once, so it was Stephanie’s responsibility to retrieve it from the scoop. A few shells hid the ring form Stephanie’s view. That did not last long and before the ring was pulled out of the scoop and put back on the waiting hand.

Lots of congratulations, Thank Yous, and big smiles were waiting our return to the dry sand. Pictures, stories all followed not only in the immediate area but along my way to the parking until I left the ever so happy couple, their family and friend to their fleeting summer time hours on the soft sandy beach.

Lost necklace on the beach, Beach Haven NJ, LBI, recovered by Edward Trapper, NJ Ring Finder

  • from Lavallette (New Jersey, United States)

  Alena called and left a message that she lost her necklace in the sand on LBI, and wondered if I would be able to help find it. After going over some of the details we arranged to meet on the dune walkover. While walking down to the spot she refreshed my memory on a few details and I began to search in the area she had marked out earlier. That spot came up empty so we moved south and did and area right next to the original spot, and no luck there either. Another friend had just arrived and was point to the sand, showing her she buggy wheels heading north just a few feet from her original location. With that said I made 2 paths and found the necklace about 5” down in the soft sugar sand. The key to successful recoveries is getting back to the correct location many hours or even days later. https://njringfinder.com