Brad’s special 14 karat yellow gold classic style wedding band that was metal detected and recovered by preteen Reece Brooks!
Brad celebrates the return of his handsome wedding band with his newfound friends and ring finders, Brian Rudolph and his grandchildren, Reece (on left) and Kayden Brooks (on right).
Brian Rudolph, Lost Item Recovery Specialist (Land, Water, Sand, Snow, Leaves, Cliffs, Houses & Vehicles) Will Find Your Lost Keepsake! Call ASAP (301) 466-8644!
Brad was working on Capitol Hill in Washington DC when he lost his very special 14 karat yellow gold classic style wedding band. While taking a break out in the courtyard of one of the adjacent buildings, Brad wiped off some water that was on one of the outside seats and in the process, his priceless piece of jewelry went flying off of his finger and landed somewhere in the grass.
Brad looked everywhere for his ring and some other people also joined in the search but no one, including Brad, had any success in recovering the wedding band. He immediately looked online to see if there was a specialized service that might be able to assist Brad in recovering his lost ring. Thankfully, the gentleman came across the elite international directory of metal detectorists called THE RING FINDERS. That’s when I was contacted.
Later that same day, after spending several hours metal detecting with my grandchildren at a local park, the three of us drove to downtown Washington DC to help Brad find his lost ring. Reece and Kayden couldn’t wait to power up their detectors and start the search! Brad took us to the grass where he believed his ring had ended up and I, along with my grandkids, began metal detecting the area.
I am excited to share that within 5 minutes or so of beginning the « investigation », my oldest grandson Reece picked up a very encouraging signal on his Garrett Ace 300 metal detector! He knelt down to check out the potential target with his pinpointer and sure enough…his eyes locked in on the awesome sight of the shiny yellow gold hiding below within the many blades of the healthy grass! Reece found the wedding band! He was beyond excited! And so were the rest of us!
Brad could not have been more impressed with our super « ring hero » team effort! He was going to be taking a flight back home the next morning to Alabama, so the timing of being able to acquire our help and recover the ring so fast and efficiently, had truly surpassed all expectations that Brad was carrying within him since making the initial phone call to me earlier in the day!
I am so proud of my grandchildren, Reece and Kayden, who diligently searched for our client’s beloved wedding band and in the end, they successfully returned the irreplaceable keepsake to its proper owner! It was a really fun afternoon!
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Peyton’s exquisite family heirloom diamond engagement ring that professional ring finder, Brian Rudolph, found in the couple’s Washington DC house.
Peyton and Oliver beyond excited for the successful recovery of their lost family heirloom engagement ring that was found by in-house item recovery specialist Brian Rudolph.
Brian Rudolph, Lost Item Recovery Specialist (Land, Water, Sand, Snow, Leaves, Cliffs, Houses & Vehicles) Will Find Your Lost Keepsake! Call ASAP (301) 466-8644!
Peyton had no idea what happened to her beautiful and irreplaceable yellow gold, 2 carat solitaire diamond family heirloom engagement ring adorned with multiple baguette diamonds wrapped around the center stone along with multiple round shaped diamonds, as well.
I received the phone call from Peyton several days after the ring went missing. She and her husband Oliver searched everywhere in the house as well as out by their deck in the backyard but the sentimental keepsake did not turn up anywhere.
Peyton was concerned that the ring may have gotten lost out on one of two public parking lost while she was shopping. I had asked my client if she applied lotion to her hands while she was in her vehicle at the time that she went out shopping. She replied by sharing that she did in fact apply lotion and took off the ring before she lathered her hands with the lotion. However, she believed that she put the ring back on her finger after she took care of applying the lotion.
I was so happy that this couple found me on the elite international directory of metal detectorists called THE RING FINDERS. Once I got all of the details from the couple, we made plans for me to come out the following evening (two days before Christmas!).
The couple was devastated when the engagement ring (which ones belonged to Oliver’s grandmother) ended up disappearing. The two of them had plans to get married just 4 months later in the month of April. Therefore, this loss was very difficult for not only Peyton and Oliver, but also for Oliver’s mother who passed it down to her son to give to his future wife.
When I arrived at the Washington DC property, the couple took me through the house starting on the first level and then we moved our way up to the second floor. There were quite a few areas where the ring could have gotten lost. And of course, there was the possibility that it made its way out of the house and was lost in a public environment. The last place that I was taken to was the basement where the laundry area was located. I told Peyton and Oliver that there was a chance that the jewel could have ended up in the washing machine or dryer. If we had to, I would check out the coin catcher to see if the ring ended up in the washing machine.
After I was oriented around the house, I told the couple that I would start my « investigation » upstairs in the master bedroom. Though Peyton and Oliver checked every square inch of the room, I felt it was the most viable place to start my search.
The first place I checked was Peyton’s nightstand on the right side of the bed. I checked the drawers and all around the floor near the piece of furniture and everything was clear of the gold and diamond ring.
Next, I took my special equipment used to probe spaces and cracks where the eye cannot see into various spaces and searched areas under the bed mattress. While I was checking the bed frame slots (one at a time), I picked up something on my probe screen that looked like a piece of jewelry. Just as I was moving the head of the instrument into a new position, I heard something fall from within the bed frame and land on the carpet below. I immediately looked in the direction of where the object came to rest on the carpet, and there it was…the most beautiful and huge diamond ring! There were diamonds all over this large piece of yellow gold! I was beyond excited! I couldn’t contain myself! The entire time the engagement ring had been stuck somewhere in the cross frame of the bed mattress! Even though the couple had lifted up the large king size mattress, neither one of them had spotted their beloved prized possession! What a thrill it was to recover such a special sentimental keepsake!
When I revealed the ring to Peyton and Oliver, the two of them couldn’t believe what their eyes had beheld! Every time I get to surprise my clients, it’s moments like these that makes searches like this one so well worthwhile and gratifying! Now Peyton was ready and able to wear her beautiful diamond engagement ring on the day of her wedding just four months into the future!
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To receive a NOTIFICATION letting you know when the video is uploaded to YOUTUBE: go to YOUTUBE by CLICKING THE LINK BELOW or OPEN your YOUTUBE APP on your device, go to the SEARCH BAR, type: THE RING HERO, click SUBSCRIBEand lastly, CLICK ON THE « BELL » to receive NOTIFICATIONS when this latest search video is available to view!
Melissa’s stunning 2.5 carat diamond solitaire engagement ring with a halo of little diamonds encircling the center diamond held by a 14 karat white gold band encrusted with diamonds half way around the band.
Melissa and Dwight happy together once again and proudly showing off Melissa’s incredible diamond ring that member of THE RING FINDERS, Brian Rudolph had miraculously recovered from Washington DC public property!
Brian Rudolph, Lost Item Recovery Specialist (Land, Water, Sand, Snow, Leaves, Cliffs, Houses & Vehicles) Will Find Your Lost Keepsake! Call ASAP (301) 466-8644!
How is one to find a lost diamond ring that was thrown after a fight?
The answer is simple: call a professional ring finder!
You too never thought one existed?
Well, they do exist and more and more people are turning for help on a special online metal detectorist directory website called THE RING FINDERS.
The online directory will help you locate a local ring finder in your geographical area.
I, Brian Rudolph, am a local ring finder and a proud member of THE RING FINDERS serving Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia.
Here is an example of someone who reached out to me after a ring was thrown following an argument.
Melissa and Dwight were drinking together outside on their apartment patio. Somehow their fun transitioned into an argument about something and things began to get quite heated between the engaged couple.
As is common with many other ring stories like this, Melissa decided to take off and throw her beautiful 2.5 carat diamond solitaire engagement ring with a halo of little diamonds encircling the center diamond held by a 14 karat white gold band encrusted with diamonds half way around the band. That action did not cool things down by any means. It was a tough night for both fiance’s.
When the young lady dialed down her emotions, she realized what mistake she made in throwing the ring and immediately she began searching for the MIA diamond engagement ring.
Meanwhile, Dwight was really upset about what took place because not only did Melissa throw something that was supposed to mean everything to her, but this was not the first time that his fiance had launched the special « promise jewel unto marriage ».
Ironically, I was told by the couple that a year earlier they had found my information on THE RING FINDERS website just after Melissa threw the same ring out into an Ocean City, Maryland hotel parking lot. They had gotten into a bad fight and Melissa’s very expensive piece of jewelry ended up lost in the public space below. Thankfully, Dwight eventually eyeballed the ring somewhere in the bushes and that nightmarish episode quickly came to an end.
When this second incident happened, the couple remembered THE RING FINDERS detectorist directory and my name happened to pop up once again.
Melissa stayed up all night searching for her ring and yet all of her efforts led to no avail. The next morning, she was back at it again, on her hands and knees out in a narrow patch of grass, scanning with her eyes with the hope that she would lock-in on that very sentimental keepsake. Still, the remorseful young lady found nothing but trash hidden below the grass blades and surrounding mud pockets.
Sometime during the early afternoon hours, while I was assisting another client with a ring search and recovery project, I received correspondence from Melissa crying out for help. The two of us talked on the phone and I assured her that if she still could not find her diamond ring by the end of the day, I would travel out to the couple’s Washington DC apartment building the next morning. She was extremely grateful for the assistance and for my words of encouragement knowing that she’s not the first to throw a ring (let alone multiple times).
Because Melissa was not able to find her most priceless material possession out there beyond her apartment complex, I headed out early the next morning to conduct my own search.
After my distraught client showed me where she was sitting when she threw the ring and took me to the narrow patch of grass where she had been searching, we had a time of prayer, asking the Lord to help me with this search and then I immediately started metal detecting.
Melissa told me that she remembered « tossing » the ring versus « throwing » the jewel in haste. However, I reminded her that when alcohol is involved, the one throwing the ring rarely is in touch with their emotions and even recollections of what actually took place. Adding anger and alcohol together makes for a very bad combination!
When I metal detected the strip of grass that was located alongside the apartment building (completely enclosed by a high fence around the parameter of the property), I found lots of miscellaneous pieces of metal such as: coins, beer pull tabs, aluminum foil, Christmas tree light bulbs and wire, and believe it or not… a couple of bullets! Unfortunately, there was no ring to be found in that location where Melissa was positive she launched it towards. I double checked my work just to make sure and then I was positive that the ring did not end up in that space unless someone happened to have found the keepsake after noticing Melissa searching for something herself.
I told my client where things stood at that point and she was completely mystified. Melissa was certain that the ring would have landed on that part of the property that I had just finished detecting. I asked her if she had looked on the other side of the property’s privacy fence where there was a concrete drive which led down into the parking garage below the complex. I was stunned to hear her response… she had not looked anywhere else but that one grassy section that I had just finished searching. This concerned me greatly because a car tire could have picked up the ring and carried it down the street or anyone walking around the entrance to the garage could have easily eyeballed the diamond ring! It was imperative that I search the public access road on the other side of the fence!
I told Melissa that it was quite possible that when she threw the ring, it might have traveled in a different direction and possibly landed much farther away from the distance she predicted. My client refuted the idea based on the fact that there was a fairly large tree in front of the balcony where Melissa threw the jewel and that the chances of the ring getting passed the branches were very slim. I did have to agree with her on that one point.
As soon as Melissa and I had our discussion, I requested that we immediately search the concrete drive and its surroundings. My client got very nervous at that point because I made her start thinking that perhaps she was negligent in not thinking to check outside the apartment complex property. We rushed down into her complex, took the stairs down to the garage level and headed out the large underground garage door that led to the area where we needed to search.
The two of us looked long and hard for my client’s huge diamond ring but it didn’t turn up anywhere out there. I checked every square inch of the concrete drive, including an alleyway and in the middle of one of the city streets that intersected with the alley. I was really concerned that a tire may have picked up the ring and carried it down the street. Still, I came up empty-handed.
At about this time, the fiance was getting very nervous and a bit more emotional as she regretted not thinking to look for the ring in the public environments. I’ll never forget the pressure that she placed upon me when Melissa said in a voice of desperation, « You do understand that if you don’t end up finding my ring, Dwight is completely done with me. Finished. » This young lady meant the « B » word… Breakup. After a second incident of throwing the « betrothal gift » and the potential of losing something this expensive, Melissa’s fiance was not going to fight for the relationship anymore if the ring was not recovered. I was heartbroken for her at this point and I prayed more to God on behalf of my client as I searched and searched to find the « true victim of circumstances ».
When I concluded that the jewel was not on the concrete drive leading down to the underground garage, nor in the alleyway or on the main street a block away (just in case a tire picked it up and took it down a ways), I was about to call it quits. By this point, Melissa was back at her place hanging out on the apartment patio with Dwight. She pretty much lost all hope at this late hour in the game. And frankly, I had almost lost any hope, as well.
I kept looking over to where the couple was and measured in mind the great distance it was between where Melissa threw the ring and where I was standing in the middle of the drive leading to the underground garage. It was a good 60 foot distance or so. That’s not a lot of space when dealing with a ring throw. However, there was that tree involved which was dead smacked in front of where the couple sat! The ring’s velocity would have greatly slowed down when striking even a leaf from that tree that was in the way. Still, I searched on and rechecked my work.
My last task with this project before having to conclude that either a tire took the poor ring down the street or someone passing by (a groundskeeper, homeless person or just any random pedestrian) picked up the keepsake, was to metal detect and « eye scan » a 1 foot strip of grass that was parallel with a property privacy fence located on the opposite side of the concrete underground garage driveway. Because the fence was made of steel, I believe I used a very small detector coil (6 inches) to attempt to get less interference coming from the massive structure of metal that easily would have « masked » the ring signal if it was in fact hidden in that very narrow section.
Well, I am delighted to share that as I was mostly done searching the very thin 1 foot wide strip of grass, I got a potential signal on my machine. I looked down to investigate the target and lo and behold…I FOUND IT! I saw the ring in the grass! A huge diamond was staring right back at me as I leaned down to retrieve it while it was still resting amongst some rocks, mud, weeds and a random green colored bread pizza wrapper! I couldn’t believe it! The whole moment was so surreal! I truly was in a state of complete unbelief! Few times I end up in shock, but this happened to be one of them! I was so happy for my clients! Especially for Melissa! And let me say, her diamond ring was absolutely exquisite! Little diamonds danced around each side of the band as the center stone showed off it’s brilliance and size! There was even a halo of little diamonds encircling the 2.5 carat solitaire! Very impressive!
Apparently, somehow, some way…the ring cleared the tree that was in front of the couple, then traveled over a stretch of grass, over a property fence, then flew over most of the pavement of the underground garage drive, bounced off of the concrete driveway and landed onto the tiny thin patch of dirt, weeds and grass that was located along the property privacy fence line allocated to the far wing of the same apartment complex! Truly Unbelievable! How that ring could have gone that far and then bounce off the concrete and onto that narrow strip was completely beyond my comprehension!
When I finally revealed to the couple the gorgeous ring that I was able to miraculously recover from that completely unexpected environment, they both went crazy! There is no other word to describe the moment! There were hugs and tears and great elation that came from the hearts and mouths of my clients! It was truly a great moment for all of us! We all gave thanks to the Lord for answering our earlier prayer together by helping me with the search and successful recovery of Melissa’s stunning diamond engagement ring!
So, in conclusion, I once again highlight the question that I first asked at the beginning of this article:
How is one to find a lost diamond ring that was thrown after a fight?
The Simple Answer: Go to THE RING FINDERS website and search for a ring finder closest to you so that they can recover for you what I was able to return to my clients… not just the engagement ring…but also…apparently their future together!
SUBSCRIBE TO BRIAN’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL TO VIEW THIS SEARCH VIDEO!
To receive a NOTIFICATION letting you know when the video is uploaded to YOUTUBE: go to YOUTUBE by CLICKING THE LINK BELOW or OPEN your YOUTUBE APP on your device, go to the SEARCH BAR, type: THE RING HERO, click SUBSCRIBEand lastly, CLICK ON THE « BELL » to receive NOTIFICATIONS when this latest search video is available to view!
Jenny’s Beautiful and Unique Engagement Ring Finally Returned Home!
BRIAN RUDOLPH, LOST ITEM RECOVERY SPECIALIST (LAND, WATER, SAND, HOUSES & VEHICLES) WILL FIND YOUR LOST KEEPSAKE! CALL ASAP (301) 466-8644!
I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK CELEBRITY ACTOR, JON CRYER, FOR SHARING ON TWITTER, HIS OWN PERSONAL STORY OF HOW « THE RING FINDERS » HELPED HIM FIND HIS MISSING WEDDING BAND! NOW, MANY THOUSANDS AROUND THE WORLD WHO ONCE LOST THEIR SPECIAL RINGS AND KEEPSAKES ARE CONTACTING MEMBERS OF « THE RING FINDERS » LIKE ME! AS A RESULT, THESE PEOPLE ARE BEING SURPRISINGLY AND HAPPILY REUNITED WITH THEIR SENTIMENTAL JEWELRY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS!
Jenny is now one of many people around the world who have been personally affected by the recent Twitter feed of celebrity actor, Jon Cryer. Miraculously, he was able to recover his cherished wedding ring that was lost during his day off of work from filming the TV series ‘Supergirl’ on location in Vancouver, Canada. Cryer is recognized for his well-known acting roles, including the highly successful sitcom show ‘Two and a Half Men’ that ran for 12 seasons from 2003 to 2015, as well as the ever famous 1980’s classic movie, ‘Pretty in Pink’. Because so many around the globe have chimed in to Cryer’s Twitter story and are finding their lost treasures (thanks to the help of THE RING FINDERS), this amazing outcome has now been officially titled, “The Jon Cryer Effect”!
Coincidentally, as I was wrapping up a successful search in Alexandria, Virginia (which came together due to Cryer’s recent tweet), I received a call from a young lady named Jenny who was yet another Twitter follower of the famous actor Jon Cryer who shared on Twitter how THE RING FINDER’S CEO, Chris Turner, found his wedding band! She, like many others, thought that maybe she could reach out to a member of the elite metal detecting directory in Washington DC and hoped that perhaps maybe I could find her lost engagement ring that had been missing for just over a year! As I was packing up my gear, I listened to Jenny’s voicemail message and immediately called her back to gain more information about her particular situation.
THE BACKSTORY
Jenny shared with me that one year ago she was taking a walk through the woods of Glover Park, located in Washington DC near the National Cathedral, when all of a sudden she was attacked by dozens and dozens of hornets! She believed that she had stepped right into a nest whereby the angry critters viciously attacked her over and over again! She was left with over 25 hornets stings all over her body. She tried to get away from the attackers by running down a hill and into a clearing where she constantly swatted and batted them with her hands as she desperately attempted to fight them off! In the process of defending herself from those demonic insects, Jenny’s eyeglasses fell to the ground where she eventually stepped on them, causing the lenses to break into pieces. At that point she could barely see clearly, causing her to be quite disoriented. Unfortunately, the worst was yet to come! In the thick of the battle, while fighting off those flying beasts, the tortured woman felt her very heavy yellow gold, 1.75 carat diamond engagement ring fly off her finger! Though she was completely overwhelmed by what she was facing with her attackers, she somehow tried to search around for her missing keepsake. However, because she was hurt so very badly by so many stings, at some point she needed to leave the forest in order to receive medical attention at the nearby hospital. It was a terrible dilemma because she knew that she needed to get help for her hornet stings and yet she didn’t want to leave her most precious jewel somewhere out there in the woods where someone walking by may have the chance to spot the ring and walk off with it.
Once Jenny got help for herself and she was able to return back to the location where she lost her ring, she and her husband searched the woods the very next day but they still couldn’t find the solid gold betrothal piece anywhere. She first rented a metal detector but nothing turned up at the search site. Then, once she finally returned the rented machine, she was fortunate enough to borrow one of her children’s teacher’s metal detectors. Jenny and her family continued to make the trek back to the “scene of the crime”, hoping that something would turn up, but even those attempts ended up with empty hands. Hours of searching turned into days, and days eventually turned into weeks and months. Still, nobody could find her beautiful gold diamond engagement ring anywhere. It was as if it disappeared into thin air. They did everything possible at the time to hopefully find the missing ring. They used rakes to work through the many leaves that had fallen during that fall season of 2019, and over and over again the search team meandered through the wooded area, looking under and around the many tree limbs and logs that were scattered about the search site. Of course, there was a chance that somebody had already found the treasured item. Jenny and family realized that if the jewel landed somewhere along the path that was perpendicular to the trail that went down the hill where Jenny was attacked by the hornets, it was quite possible that at some point during the next few days following her horrible incident, somebody could have picked it up before the autumn leaves covered over the priceless ring. Even with their worst fears, Jenny and her husband reported the missing ring to the park ranger, hoping that if someone picked up the ring, it would be turned in and eventually reclaimed. She estimated that over the next year, 100 plus hours had been invested in all of her search efforts which included over 30 hours of metal detecting, and plenty of assistance from her husband, children and friends! Again, nothing ever turned up.
THE SEARCH
Jenny was absolutely devastated by the loss of something so special as this. However, she was a determined woman who never gave up hope that perhaps the ring was still out there somewhere, buried under downed trees or lost in the high grass and bramble. Finally, a beacon of hope was spotted on Jenny’s smartphone as she read actor Jon Cryer’s Twitter feed about the successful recovery of his own beloved wedding band! She went online to THE RING FINDER’S website and reviewed my profile listed under the Washington DC metropolitan area. Little did Jenny know that I had just discovered two other lost rings that had gone missing for 3 years and 1 year for people just like her who also read Jon Cryer’s Twitter feed and contacted me in the days that followed, asking if I could help them find their rings! I couldn’t wait to set up a time for me to travel out to the Washington DC forest to make a search attempt to recover Jenny’s lost gold diamond engagement ring!
While Jenny and I were talking on the phone, I asked her question after question regarding everything that transpired leading up to the ring flying off of her finger out in the forest. From what she described, I felt very confident that there was a strong possibility that nobody spotted the ring with the amount of “distracting nature” that surrounded that particular area. She mentioned that there was quite a bit of bramble and fallen trees that had rested in the location where she was once under attack by those vicious hornets. Also, she said that she lost the ring in October 2019 during the same autumn season exactly one year ago. That information gave me hope that the ring could still be out there because it could have easily been camouflaged by the golden colors of the leaves that had fallen from the trees above, causing her engagement ring to blend in perfectly with its surroundings.
Yes, there was plenty of metal detecting at the site, but in my mind, it didn’t mean that the gold ring hadn’t been missed. In my many experiences with other people using detectors that are made of cheap quality electronics and having lack of experience, those search attempts generally end up being futile, giving up no positive results. I remember telling Jenny on the phone how excited I was to hear that there was plenty of thorn bushes and overgrown weeds and trees that had fallen down all around that area. She couldn’t figure out why I was so encouraged by her description of that forsaken territory where her nightmare took place! I reiterated my positive thoughts about her description of the site by explaining that it gave more opportunities for the ring to hide as opposed to having only one or two scenarios as to where the jewel could have ended up (such as it being left on the path for somebody to pick up). Though Jenny was still in a mode of doubting the possibility that I may be the one to recover her lost keepsake, she was nonetheless enthusiastic for giving me a shot at finding her precious ring that she had missed so much.
I finished our second conversation that same night by encouraging Jenny with several search and recovery stories that had to do with me finding people’s rings that had gone missing for years. Jewelry that had been out there for the longest time, buried in the ground or hidden in a vehicle or house, just waiting to be found by me! Before we got off the phone, we tentatively set up a time to meet in three days on a Saturday afternoon. I told her I couldn’t wait to get out there into the woods and help her find the lost engagement ring that she cherished so very much! Jenny didn’t know what to say to that declaration because so many hours had already gone into the search and every time she gave it her all, she came up with nothing. I told her if that ring was never picked up and it was still out there somewhere, I told her that I would indeed find it for her…guaranteed!
For the next three days, I couldn’t wait to meet up with Jenny in order for her to take me into the woods and show me where all of the drama took place a year ago this October. I pictured the ring buried somewhere out there, just waiting for me to come and return it to the finger that it still belonged to! She and her two dogs met me at one of the entrances to Glover Park located in Washington DC not too far from the National Cathedral. Jenny, who is very familiar with the paths and trails throughout the park (it was routine for her to walk her retrievers in that area quite frequently), led the way into the woods and down into the forest where she lost her ring on that one dreadful afternoon. As we walked to the spot, she gave me more details about that particular day and just how much effort she had invested in trying to find her beloved engagement ring.
After a good 5 or 10 minutes of walking over rocks, downed trees and across muddy spots, we eventually got to the top of a hill where Jenny was steps away from being attacked by those ruthless hornets. Her dogs led the way as she guided me down the slope, eventually stopping at the bottom where it started to level out. Another path could be seen to the left and right of us and I immediately wondered how busy this particular trail had been traveled. Jenny stood close to the intersection of the two paths and recounted what happened next. She showed me how she was swatting the insects profusely, trying with all of her might to get them off of her. She demonstrated for me just how she was standing and brought attention to the angle of how she was positioned when she tried to fight off her attackers. Jenny believed her left arm went forward and that the ring most likely went into the woods in front of her, towards some very large trees that had fallen many years prior. There was a gigantic tree trunk with its roots still intact, along with all kinds of huge branches, tree limbs, high grass, weeds and plenty of bramble growing wild everywhere. Just as she described to me on the phone days before, there was plenty of obstacles and area to search! The ring could have still been hiding just about anywhere! She actually ended up apologizing to me for such a complicated search site to have to investigate! I told her, “Please, there is no need to apologize because I am more encouraged about having this kind of environment as opposed to being in a public area where anyone could have easily spotted the ring on the day that it flew off your finger!”
Next, I asked Jenny to give me an account of all of the spots where her crew had metal detected so that I could have an idea of what pieces of real estate were already covered in the past year. She pointed out those locations, but I noticed that she didn’t mention the property behind where she was standing. I pointed to the hillside where we came down and over to the right another 30 to 75 feet, and asked her if anyone searched behind the section that she thought the ring had flown towards. Her response was that they had barely looked in those areas because she had believed that the ring had flown forward into where the trees and bramble rested based on how her arm moved forward during the brutal attack. I took close attention to those facts.
Once we covered all of the details regarding where she felt the ring flew and all the places that she, her family and friends searched over the past year, I was ready to return back to my car to gather up my gear and return to the search site to begin my recovery project. Jenny was kind enough to orient me to a closer entrance point which would help me pull my equipment wagon down into the woods where my travels to the site would be much faster than where we originally entered. She took some of my orange grid cones and placed them in key positions where I would be able to find my way out of the woods and back to my car once I finished the first leg of my search that day. We didn’t know how many trips it would take for me to wrap up the project because there was so much territory to cover. However, it was clear that I needed to have a way of identifying markers in order for me to make my way out of the park and back to my vehicle.
Jenny guided me back to the search site, showing me a little stream with lots of rocks and mud that I would need to cross over, and then eventually she pointed me to the largest landmark at the “scene of the crime” – that huge tree that was lying on its side just in front of where Jenny fought for her life last October.
Before she took off to walk the dogs deeper into the forest, I warned Jenny that upon her return to this location, she may end up observing me searching for the engagement ring in an area that most people would consider to be an illogical place to metal detect when searching for a jewel that went flying in an entirely different zone. She appreciated my words but assured me that she was putting what hope she had left into my care, wishful that I would use my expertise and experience to pull her ring from the park!
As she headed off with the dogs, I started setting up my gear for what I anticipated to be a very long and possibly difficult search project. Like I mentioned above, there was no way of telling whether or not the ring had already been picked up by somebody or not. All that I could do was to give it my all and hope for the best. Before I began setting grid cones up in a certain area on the hill side where she had originally ran down just after being attacked by the hornets, I prayed to the Lord and asked my beloved Creator to help me and guide me in the search efforts. I asked my Heavenly Father to give me wisdom and guidance in finding the hiding place where the ring had ended up, believing that it was still somewhere out there. Then, I put my metal detecting harness over my jacket, placed the headphones over my ears and finally started grid searching inside of the area where I placed the cones up and around a portion of the hill.
Generally, when one is metal detecting an area way out in the woods, there is very little metal that you will encounter in the ground. This scenario was no different. However, there were a few targets that I dug up because the metal detector was picking up a few shallow targets that were just below the ground. I knew that if the ring was still there on that property, it would be just slightly below the dirt and leaves with just a little bit of the halo showing up above the ground. It turned out that there was absolutely no ring to be discovered in the first section that I marked off with my orange cones.
By the time I finished grid searching that first area, Jenny had returned with her precious retrievers just to check on how things were going and to let me know that she was heading back to her place. I quickly showed her what I completed at that point and pointed to the area that was going to be surrounded by cones for my next grid search. Eventually Jenny left and I remained there at the site, continuing my efforts to reclaim my client’s lost beloved ring. Though there was so much pain, drama and sadness that took place in this region of the park, I still couldn’t help myself appreciate the surroundings which were absolutely beautiful that autumn day.
I would continue to work on the hillside, adjacent to where I had just finished the first section. Moving to the other side of the trail where she quickly ran down the slope as she was being attacked by the hornets, my aim was to hit that spot next. I set the cones up around that that territory and was then ready to begin that second phase of the search. For some unexplainable reason (which I now believe was true divine guidance by the Spirit of the Lord in answer to my earlier prayer), I began to just randomly metal detect the area that Jenny had pointed out where she and the others predominantly searched over the past year. I wasn’t thinking that I would necessarily find the ring, but I was just curious as to what I would discover and get an idea of how much metal was in the ground in the environment where all of the downed trees, high grass and bramble predominantly congregated around. I casually swung the detector in that particular zone and then slowly moved my way around and back towards the path that crossed the trail that goes up the hill. There was no ring to be found in any of those spots that I casually swung the coil over. One habit that I seem to typically implement while I am detecting an area is to keep swinging my detector over real estate until I get to the section that I intend to grid search next, just in case I come across something of interest along the way. This moment was no different. I crossed the path that divided the main section of where she had been searching for the past year over to the hillside section that would have been where her back was facing during the hornet attack. I didn’t get more than 6 feet off the path, moving up the slight incline (probably 8 to 10 feet over to my right which would take me towards the coned off area that I was about to grid) when I hit a pretty significant target signal that appeared to be buried just below the surface. Because the ground was covered with the most beautiful colors from the autumn season, I wasn’t able to observe whether or not this target was partially resting above the ground. However, I was about to find out! The VDI number (visual discrimination indicator) that appeared on my detector screen came up as a solid 18. First of all, that number is not a common number that comes up on my detector. Usually I find items made of lead that come into that range of 17 or 18. Therefore, this solid 18 number got me really curious. A typical lady’s yellow gold engagement ring would never register such a high number. In fact, I was only told that the target that I was looking for was a yellow gold solitaire diamond ring with the stone set into the band. I didn’t think much about the weight because usually lady’s rings aren’t designed with a bulk of extra gold. Most of the time I find that a lady’s yellow gold ring will fall into the VDI number range between 8 and13.
With this current target that I was about to investigate, I honestly was not thinking that I had found Jenny’s ring by any means. However, I am always hopeful in every situation because I have seen so many miracle stories take place with many of my searches. With this target signal, I was not going to discount that same possibility, as well. I got down on my knees to the ground and pulled out my handheld metal detector which helps to pinpoint the exact location of where the other metal detector had discovered the target. I waved it over the ground in the spot where the detector picked up the curious object and almost immediately I located the exact spot where the item was buried. Slowly, I used my left hand to start removing some of the surface dirt to see if I could make out exactly what the target was before having to use my digger to go farther down if necessary. Instantly my eyes caught the most beautiful image of something gold in color that was resting just below some brittle leaves and topsoil and on that hillside. I could not believe what I was looking at! Only a part of the object was protruding through the ground, but I knew very well that what I was going to pull from the earth in a moment’s time just had to be Jenny’s missing diamond engagement ring! There was no way that another piece of precious metal would have been lost in the same vicinity as the ring that I was on the hunt for! This had to be Jenny’s jewel! It was an unbelievable moment for me! I was only walking in the direction of where I was about to start my second grid search when I hit this home run! I couldn’t believe it! It was absolutely amazing! The cones were already in place for me to begin my grid lines and yet I never even made it over to that second zone! Why? Because I believe I was divinely guided by the hand to the very spot where Jenny’s beloved keepsake had landed and remained hidden for over a year! The ring was discovered 27 feet from where Jenny remembered feeling her priceless gem slipping off her finger! The keepsake flew from across Jenny’s left side, over her head and moved airborne in the direction behind her to the right on a 45 degree angle (4 o’clock position), slightly up the hill!
Once I Removed Some Top Soil and Leaves, This is What My Eyes Encountered!
I was now looking at a huge piece of gold exposed in front of my eyes! The rest of the ring was perhaps buried maybe a half-inch in the ground! Jenny had mentioned twice to me that she had searched for over 100 hours and even came back to the search site after the two of us talked on the phone the other day! So much time was invested in trying to find her precious ring, and yet nothing became of all of her efforts…until now! Her best decision was to contact THE RING FINDERS! The ring that she had attempted to recover in an entire year of searching, I was able to successfully find in 20 minutes! Though I would have eventually grid searched the spot where I stumbled upon that most priceless piece of artwork, the fact that I found the treasure so quickly and incidentally was beyond a surreal moment for me!
The moment was too amazing to believe that it was really happening! Yet, it really was a reality! I really did find Jenny’s beautiful solid gold diamond engagement ring! I was so excited that I actually fell to the ground and laid there on my back like a little kid with my feet and hands up towards the top of the trees! I couldn’t contain myself! I just took in the moment, thanking God over and over again and saying out loud, “I can’t believe that this is really happening that I actually found the diamond engagement ring and how quickly I discovered it!” When you know that somebody has been searching for something for over a year with metal detectors and with numerous people added to the hunt, you can anticipate searches like this to be a bit more complicated than some of the more simple scenarios that we ring finders have had to tackle. I loved the challenge of this particular case, but I had no idea that I would end up finding Jenny’s ring this quick and so easily!
I didn’t even pull the ring out of the ground before I walked 40 feet back to my equipment wagon, pulled out a white rag, placed onto the ground in front of me and worshipped the Lord down on my knees! Jenny would finally get this priceless and most sentimental piece of jewelry back on her finger soon enough! I knew that this was one more miracle story to be added to all of my others that I had experienced over the past couple of years! I wanted to give God the glory and thank Him before I held that ring in my hands for the first time!
The Engagement Ring Flew 27 Feet Behind Jenny During Her Horrible Hornet Attack!
As I was still on my knees, a gentleman who was walking his dog on the trail just feet from where I had found the ring, stopped and inquired about what was going on and what I was doing. His name was Lindsay. I explained to him that I was worshiping the Lord because I found something very special that belonged to someone and I couldn’t believe that I had found it so quickly! I explained that it was a ring that had gone missing for over a year! He was quite intrigued and asked if he could see the treasure that I pulled from the earth. I was more than thrilled to share my excitement with him! It was at that moment that I returned to the diamond ring that was still waiting for me to raise her up from the ground! Slowly and carefully I separated the piece of gold from the earth, exposing the most humongous diamond that was embedded into the actual band of the gold ring! It was simply exquisite! There were two accent lines of white gold that were wrapped around each of the sides of the ring and the artwork on this beautiful object was simply stunning! The weight of this jewel was extremely heavy for a lady’s ring, very non-characteristic of a lady’s engagement ring! It was a very special ring that was obviously custom-made in every which way. I would later find out that the ring was designed based on the need to have a diamond that would not rub or bump into things while the owner physically worked out and while regularly teaching yoga classes.
Lindsay was so taken back by the whole story of what I had searched for and so quickly discovered, that he asked if he could bring his entire family over to the site so that they too could witness the cool event! I welcomed their visit and I told him that in the meantime I would be continuing my time of worship onto the Lord and then begin taking pictures of this incredible moment! He left and I returned to my white towel that was still laid out on top of the leaves near my wagon and I just continued to thank God for everything! The gratitude in my heart was overwhelming! I thought that I would most likely have to come back for consecutive visits to complete the search and hopefully find the ring in that process of time. I never thought in a million years that I would end up finding the engagement ring in such a short period of time! Once I finished my moment with God, I returned back to where the ring was found and documented the entire event with my still camera and video equipment.
By the time I wrapped up my photo session, my new friend’s family arrived at the search site and I got to share with them the whole search story from beginning to end! They were the nicest people! I could see it in the kids’ eyes just how intrigued they were to witness something as fantastic as this with me finding buried treasure out there in the middle of the forest! When you see something made of solid gold with a huge diamond set inside the precious metal, just lying on the ground where it should have never been lost, it’s pretty powerful to experience such a moment! This is what makes ring finders and metal detectorists like me so energized and beyond thrilled when we find someone else’s lost property in places such as this!
At some point, before the family headed off, they thanked me for sharing this special celebration with all of them. We said our goodbyes and though I took enough photos and video earlier, I decided to document a few more moments before it started getting darker outside.
Eventually, I began packing my things up. While I was still in the forest, there wasn’t a moment that I wasn’t still floating on cloud nine! I constantly thanked God and felt so grateful that I discovered the ring where I had found it and just how fast it was recovered! As I was collecting all of the cones that I had set up in that second zone where I had intended to start grid searching, I thought to myself just how innocent I was, metal detecting randomly in that first area where Jenny said that they had been looking for so very long. I recounted how I crossed over the trail and began making my way back towards the cones and how I just happened to stumble over the ring as I made my way to start the second zone! I could have just begun the grid search on that other part of the hill, but it never had to take place! Yes, as I shared before, I would have eventually found the ring because the area where it ended up was at some point going to be the third section that I planned to hunt. But, boy did I save a lot of time and energy! Oh yes! I could not have been more surprised!
Once I packed everything up in my blue wagon, I said goodbye to this very special search site that was a witness to Jenny’s attack and the loss of her precious ring during the October before this one. But now it became a beautiful place now that the earth gave up something that only belonged to Jenny and nobody else! I was so proud to be a part of such a search and recovery project and to be the one to eventually return the most beautiful and sentimental keepsake to its rightful owner. Returned to one who had been yearning for a reunion with this sentimental keepsake for so very long! Finally, this huge piece of gold with its amazingly large diamond was leaving the forest since October 2019!
It was a moment that I will never forget, the evening that I surprised Jenny and one of her children (who happened to be home at the time of the ring reveal)! She was absolutely stunned! So much so that she admittedly shared with me that she thought that the ring that I had surprised her with couldn’t possibly be hers! Why? Because I was able to find the keepsake so very quickly as opposed to all of the search attempts that she had made that added up to well over 100 hours and each one miserably failed! She thought, ‘How could this be?’ But she then eventually came around to realizing that there was no way that I could have produced a copy of such an incredible engagement ring because I had never seen a picture of what it looked like in the first place! Jenny was completely in a daze when I handed her that ring! The realization that it was finally back in her possession after all this time was something that she couldn’t fully describe with words! The same jewel that was placed upon Jenny’s finger by her beloved groom on the day of their marriage, was now back on that same ring finger, never to get away from this bride ever again for the rest of her life! During that reunion moment, you could easily see what was going on inside of that stunned young lady! Emotions of pure happiness were dancing within every chamber of her heart! Part two of Jenny’s horrible nightmare that took place one year ago this month had finally come to an end…her lost engagement ring had finally come home to her!
If you would like to view the SEARCH VIDEO and the fantastic RING REVEAL pertaining to this search, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and you will be notified when the search video is uploaded onto YouTube.
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If you would like to watch the SEARCH VIDEO and the RING REVEAL pertaining to this story, the video will be uploaded soon. To receive a NOTIFICATION letting you know when the video is uploaded to YOUTUBE: go to YOUTUBE by CLICKING THE LINK BELOW or OPEN your YOUTUBE APP on your device. In the SEARCH BAR, type: THE RING RETURNER, click SUBSCRIBEand lastly, CLICK ON THE « BELL » to receive NOTIFICATIONS when this latest search video is available to view!
Stanton’s Handsome Platinum Wedding Band Now Above Ground After 3 Years!
Stanton’s Happy Smile Shines Brightly After Ring Reveal!
BRIAN RUDOLPH, LOST ITEM RECOVERY SPECIALIST (LAND, WATER, SAND, HOUSES & VEHICLES) WILL FIND YOUR LOST KEEPSAKE! CALL ASAP (301) 466-8644!
I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK CELEBRITY ACTOR, JON CRYER, FOR SHARING ON TWITTER HIS OWN PERSONAL STORY OF HOW « THE RING FINDERS » HELPED HIM FIND HIS MISSING WEDDING BAND! NOW, MANY THOUSANDS AROUND THE WORLD WHO ONCE LOST THEIR SPECIAL RINGS AND KEEPSAKES ARE CONTACTING MEMBERS OF « THE RING FINDERS » LIKE ME! AS A RESULT, THESE PEOPLE ARE BEING SURPRISINGLY AND HAPPILY REUNITED WITH THEIR SENTIMENTAL JEWELRY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS!
Stanton is now one of many people around the world who have been personally affected by the recent Twitter feed of celebrity actor, Jon Cryer. Miraculously, he was able to recover his cherished wedding ring that was lost during his day off work from filming the TV series ‘Supergirl’ on location in Vancouver, Canada. Cryer is recognized for his well-known acting roles, including the highly successful sitcom show ‘Two and a Half Men’ that ran for 12 seasons from 2003 to 2015, as well as the ever famous 1980’s classic movie, ‘Pretty in Pink’. Because so many around the globe have chimed in to Cryer’s Twitter story and are finding their lost treasures (thanks to the help of THE RING FINDERS), this amazing outcome has now been officially titled, “The Jon Cryer Effect”!
Yes, just like for Stanton himself, it was touching to read the October 11th, 2020 account of how Chris Turner, CEO of THE RING FINDERS (an international metal detectorist directory), and professional metal detecting specialist himself, successfully recovered Cryer’s beloved wedding band on a tiny strip of grass near a seawall in Vancouver. And yet, nothing could have rocked the world more for this faithful Twitter follower of Cryer’s than the story that was about to follow!
After reading Cryer’s emotional journey in being happily reconnected with his ring, Stanton decided to check out THE RING FINDERS directory to see if there was a metal detecting specialist in the Washington, DC area. My profile popped up, he liked what he read, and soon after, an email inquiring of my services headed to my inbox!
Stanton emailed:
“Hi Brian, I found you on theringfinders.com (courtesy of a Jon Cryer tweet). Do you have availability to help me look for a lost wedding ring? I live in DC near Takoma Park. The ring has been lost for a several years so there’s no rush. I’d just like to get some closure. Hope you’re having a great weekend. Thanks, Stanton”
I promptly responded, and before long, the two of us were on the phone together the next morning, talking details about his missing ring and setting up a search time for later that day!
THE BACKSTORY
As with most juicy stories, there is always room for some unexpected drama that finds its way into the event. The story goes like this: More than 3 years ago, like with most couples, Stanton and his wife were having a heated argument. At some point, rings were being taken off and slammed on the kitchen counter. Stanton’s spouse grabbed his handsome platinum wedding band and moved swiftly towards the French doors that led to the back deck on the second floor of their house. The doors flew open and the athletic arm of the passionate young lady who was quite skilled at playing baseball, pulled itself back like a trigger on a gun, and in her highly charged emotional state, she side armed a throw that any Washington Nationals baseball pitcher would be proud of!
Out towards the back of the house, the ring made its journey somewhere below and beyond the second floor deck. Stanton went on to share that he tried to prevent the release of the ring but his efforts proved to be ineffective. The initial windup was successfully transitioned into an eventual classic rocket launch! Eventually, like in most cases, once the couple makes up and moves pass the heated moment, shame and regret sets in and the search and recovery efforts ensue. That is exactly what took place in this particular case.
Stanton’s wife, Jessica, was brave enough to acquire a metal detector and embark upon a search with the children all around the lawn and the adjacent property next to their home. Nothing turned up. She felt really bad about the whole situation, realizing that the ring was nowhere to be found. At some point, over a period of time, the search efforts were wrapped up and the ring was presumed MIA. Worse than that, the couple ended up going their separate ways and in the end, discovering the whereabouts of the missing platinum halo was the last thing on Stanton’s mind.
Now, fast forward 3 years later. Who could have written a better script than this?! As a result of actor, Jon Cryer losing his wedding band in Canada and a professional metal detectorist who happened to be the CEO of THE RING FINDERS finding it for him, word spread around the globe via Cryer’s Twitter thread about the actor’s ring recovery! 3,000 miles away, in Washington, DC, Stanton read the account about THE RING FINDERS and then wonders if maybe there’s a chance of finally recovering his missing wedding band! As mentioned above, he promptly emails me to discuss the matter!
THE SEARCH
Though the autumn weather provided for a rainy and chilly Monday afternoon, I was more than excited to meet the fellow Washingtonian and see if I could bring a smile to Stanton’s face with the recovery of his lost wedding band!
When I arrived at Stanton’s delightful house, I immediately asked my client to take me into the kitchen where his wedding band was last seen before it was picked up and taken to the rear of the house. He pointed to the spot where it had rested and then he walked me to the French doors located at the back of the house that leads out to the deck. Then, he opened up the French doors and reenacted that dreadful moment when his wife did the old “heave-ho” just inside the house.
Next, with a steady downpour of rain, Stanton bravely walked me out to the deck and down the stairs leading to the lawn. He said that he called his ex-wife to ask for additional details that he may have forgotten over the past three years. Jessica believed that she side armed the throw and was still convinced that the ring flew to the left on a diagonal course towards their chain linked fence. Both of them were pretty convinced that the ring most likely ended up along the fence line, though nobody could spot it or detect it properly with the machine during the earlier searches.
Once Stanton finished orienting me around the property, I returned to my car to retrieve all of the necessary gear for the search. Then, while the rain kept pouring down, I wheeled my equipment to the rear of Stanton’s property and began the recovery attempt.
First, I searched on the deck, moved down the steps and moved under the stairs. Then, I checked the gravel, looked under the garden hoses and planters, and finally I searched the backyard lawn. There were quite a few pieces of metal buried just below the ground, but no ring was to be found. My finds bag that hung to the side of my detector harness became half full of non-ferrous metallic items by the time I completed that section of the property.
Instead of focusing on the fence line which would be extremely challenging and time-consuming, the wisest direction to choose was to take my gear over to the neighbor’s yard and begin metal detecting on their lawn. If I didn’t find the ring over there, I would have no choice but to work at a worm’s eye level close to the ground and focus all along the chain linked fence.
Experienced metal detecting recoverists and specialists will tell you that one of our greatest arch enemies happens to be metal fences. The reason for this is that there is so much metal on the fence, that it causes rings with precious metal to be completely masked, as if it was non-existent. One must be on their hands and knees and carefully hand detect, pulling away all of the debris, dead grass and weeds in order to make sense of the area. Even that does not guarantee that you might find the ring. If it’s buried quite deep next to the fence, unless you dig up everything from the fence to about a foot away, your efforts will be completely futile.
It was probably about an hour and a half into my search when I took my detectors over to the neighbor’s yard (Stanton got permission for me to search the yard adjacent to his). I was completely drenched but I didn’t care. All of my waterproof gear kept me nice and dry. I started grid searching from the edge of the neighbor’s deck, down the lawn and towards the rear alley. I purposely kept my equipment away from the fence by nearly a foot and a half so that I would not get false readings on my detectors. Unfortunately, there was a lot of metal that was buried in a particular region where I was searching on the lawn. There was so much that I was very concerned that the ring could have gotten mixed up in that “cemetery” of non-ferrous objects. It was at that point that I needed to switch metal detectors by using a smaller coil at the end of my detector shaft in order to differentiate between one small metal object and another one nearby to it. I dug up a few shallow items but there was no platinum treasure buried in that region. It was at that point when I continued on by switching back to my 15-in coil detector and moved along my grid line farther down the lawn.
When I had passed the two and half hour search mark, I had finished my first pass down the neighbor’s lawn with my imaginary grid line. It took a long time to complete that first pass because of how much miscellaneous non-ferrous metallic objects were buried throughout that area. I found a couple of coins including a nickel and a penny, along with one or two pull tabs, as well.
I was about 10 to 15 feet away from the fence and half way across the lawn as I was moving back towards the deck area of the neighbor’s yard, when I got another legitimate signal. My detector was reading VDI numbers of 12 and 13, which like earlier, usually ends up being a soda can pull tab or a nickel. I looked at the positioning of where the potential target was located in relationship to where Stanton’s deck was situated and I realized that the ring could have possibly made it over to this place if it was thrown extremely hard. It was quite realistic to assume that the trajectory path could have gone to this very spot where I was about to investigate.
Once I checked a few more things out with my detector, as I waved the coil over the target area, I was ready to kneel down and pinpoint the exact location of the item that was clearly under the earth. ‘Could this be the object that I have been looking for in the past couple hours or so?’ I excitedly thought to myself as I pulled out my hand held metal detector and moved it over the spot where the machine had picked up the initial signal. Carefully and slowly, I moved some grass out of the way and removed a bit of dirt that covered the object. It was at that moment that I realized I had found Stanton’s missing wedding band that had been thrown from his deck 3 years earlier! I knew I discovered it when I saw a faint metallic halo shaped object just slightly visible at the surface! It was his platinum ring and it was still giving off a brilliant shine! A very handsome one at that! I lit up with excitement and disbelief! At any point in time, the ring could have been spotted and pocketed by someone in that neighbor’s backyard over the years before it made its way into the ground! Or, it could have been buried up against the fence line, never to be detected or ever recovered! I thanked the Lord for guiding me to this spot and giving me the wisdom necessary to locate and pull this keepsake from the ground!
The roadmap to this ring recovery was nothing short of a fun little fairytale! It started with Stanton reading Jon Cryer’s Twitter tweet about THE RING FINDER’S Chris Turner finding the actor’s beloved wedding band in Canada (almost 3,000 miles away from Washington DC)! Then, an email is sent to me requesting my help in finding Stanton’s own ring, we talk on the phone to discuss the story of how the ring was lost, I examine all of the clues and tips, I then ask my client endless questions and interview him once more upon my arrival at the search site, I get the tour around the “crime scene”, and then begin the metal detecting adventure that eventually led me to the neighbor’s yard where I finally and successfully recovered Stanton’s lost wedding band! WHAT AN AMAZING STORY!
It was because of all of these steps, as well as my relentless determination to find the lost item that I was able to raise this precious sentimental keepsake from the ground, in the neighbor’s yard, in the pouring rain, and return it to the man who curiously wondered where it had ended up after all these years!
I couldn’t wait to share with Stanton what I had found approximately 75 feet away from his second floor deck on the other side of the adjacent fence in his neighbor’s yard! He was quite surprised and beyond thrilled with what I was able to achieve and ultimately return to him! As I was wrapping things up, the happy Washingtonian was on the phone with his ex « Jess », excitedly sharing the news that I had found the missing ring! She was so happy to hear the news and thanked me for my successful efforts! Apparently, the two of them have remained close friends to this very day!
After I did the reveal, the two of us had a nice laugh together as we both stood in the rain on the deck, just feet away from where the initial drama ensued. I smiled and said to the very kind gentleman, « Well Stanton, with all of the helpful and insightful information that you provided me with to successfully recover your ring, probably the most accurate of all the details that you shared with me was the fact that Jessica…really did have a pretty good arm! »
Before leaving the search site, Stanton expressed to me just how grateful he was to Jon Cryer for how the actor shared his personal ring recovery story on Twitter. Without the thread, he said he may have never known that there was someone like me out there that was capable of helping Stanton recover his sentimental keepsake.
As I drove away, I smiled as a thought came to my mind as to why this special Washingtonian was so desirious to rekindle the search efforts for his lost platinum wedding band after all these years! It was just a guess, but in time I might just learn the exciting answer that I truly hope to hear!
If you would like to view the SEARCH VIDEO and the fantastic RING REVEAL pertaining to this search, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and you will be notified when the search video is uploaded onto YouTube.
SUBSCRIBE TO BRIAN’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL TO VIEW THIS SEARCH VIDEO!
If you would like to watch the SEARCH VIDEO and the RING REVEAL pertaining to this story, the video will be uploaded soon. To receive a NOTIFICATION letting you know when the video is uploaded to YOUTUBE: go to YOUTUBE by CLICKING THE LINK BELOW or OPEN your YOUTUBE APP on your device. In the SEARCH BAR, type: THE RING RETURNER, click SUBSCRIBEand lastly, CLICK ON THE « BELL » to receive NOTIFICATIONS when this latest search video is available to view!
Abdul’s Palladium Ring Recovered from a Baseball Field! Call Brian Rudolph at (301) 466-8644 to Help You Get Back What Has Been Lost!
Happiness Shines All Over Abdul’s Face Now That His Wedding Band is Safely Back on His Finger!
CALL BRIAN RUDOLPH WITH THE RING FINDERS AT (301) 466-8644 AND HE WILL RETURN TO YOU WHAT HAS BEEN LOST!
I received an email from a woman who desperately wanted to find her husband’s missing palladium wedding band which was lost on a baseball field the day before. Abdul’s wife went online to research possible methods in recovering lost rings on sport fields. The Ring Finders directory popped up on her phone and she began to search for a local metal detectorist in the Gaithersburg, Maryland area. My name came up on her Google search and she quickly reached out to me.
As soon as I read the email description of how Abdul’s wedding band disappeared off of his finger while playing baseball, I quickly called the couple to ask questions and to set up a time when I could go out looking for the ring. Abdul told me that he was playing various positions during a baseball game at Gaithersburg High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He didn’t know when the ring slipped off of his finger but he did recognize that it was missing before he left the field that day. After the game, he searched everywhere and yet he still couldn’t find it anywhere. That’s when other players got involved and looked in every position where Abdul was playing the game, but they too came up empty-handed. He eventually had to leave the baseball diamond that afternoon knowing that the very ring that was presented to him by his beloved wife on their wedding day would be left behind somewhere on the baseball field. He told me on the phone that it was quite a disheartening feeling to wonder whether he would ever be able to get the ring back or not. Because there was another team that was supposed to play after his group completed their game, he worried that the ring might have already been found by someone else.
During the entire time on the phone, I tried to give some hope to the couple that if the ring was still out there on the field, I would be able to find it and return it to Abdul. It just so happened that he got sick overnight and so he was not in any position to go out and meet me on the baseball diamond to recount where he was positioned during the game when he lost the ring. Instead, he sent me a diagram of the baseball field and where he was positioned at different times, including the areas where he practiced and warmed up before playing the game. This was extremely helpful and it would provide just what I needed to search the various places where he stood and played ball. Before we got off the phone, I told Abdul and his wife that I would update them as soon as I finished with my search later that evening.
By the time I got to the search site at Gaithersburg High School, the sun was descending behind the trees that encased the baseball field where I would be conducting my search. I gathered all of my gear out of the car and walked to the field that Abdul so perfectly diagrammed earlier that morning. There was no game going on that evening, so I had the baseball diamond to myself, including the outfield.
The first thing I did was say a prayer and I asked the Lord for help during the search. I then started metal detecting over by the batting cage which Abdul also illustrated for me. There were a lot of potential signals, but every time I checked the ground in that area, there was no ring to be found. Bottle caps and aluminum can pull tabs were scattered all over the place. This made my search a little bit slower than anticipated.
As soon as I completed my search around the cage area, I headed over to the baseball diamond. Because Abdul played various positions, I needed to first check all of the hotspots. If I didn’t find the ring in those places, I would start doing a grid search over the entire field. I metal detected around all of the bases and to the left and right of the baselines by several feet. I wanted to see if the ring may have come off while he was running the bases or in the process of getting tagged out.
Once I completed my detecting in those places, I was convinced that the wedding band was not lost in those locations. Then, I went into the outfield and began to grid search beyond first, second and third bases. Still there was nothing to be found. By that time I may have completed about an hour and a half of detecting. I was certain that the ring was not in the outfield unless somebody had found the ring just by chance when looking down at the ground. The odds of that were very slim because the field was completely covered with thick, healthy grass. Most likely the wedding band would have settled between the “blades of green” and would not have been seen by anybody.
My next search area focused on the grassy area behind the backstop. I also metal detected both dugouts and still came up with nothing. Abdul had walked behind the dugouts and took a couple breaks by walking closer to the tree line, so I checked those areas behind the backstop, as well. My last area to check without having to re-grid the entire field, was to metal detect all of the area inside the baseball diamond. Most of the grass within the parameter of all of the bases was very dry and much of it was dead. There were also a lot of spaces that were simply dirt spots with absolutely no vegetation. I presumed that if the ring was initially lost in the dirt-filled areas in the diamond section of the field, it would have most likely been picked up by someone between the time of Abdul’s game and the other games that followed after his team left for the day. The reason for this was because there were so few places for the ring to hide. There were also summer programs going on earlier in the day, which could have caused a young one to eyeball the handsome palladium band and walk off with it. I was hoping that this was not the case and that it was still out there, waiting to be found. I put my doubts aside and focused on eliminating all possibilities as to where that ring could have ended up.
Abdul’s Ring Found At Last! The Wedding Band Resting Amongst the Dead Grass and Weeds on the Baseball Diamond!
Starting at home plate, I moved my way to third base and then started a grid search back towards home. I kept moving my way across the playing field for a few more passes before I stopped briefly to grab my headlamp that was in my backpack nearby. It was starting to get dark outside and I needed the field to be fully illuminated as I traveled in straight lines across the diamond.
The Ring Slipped Off of Abdul’s Finger Just 8 Feet From the Pitcher’s Plate!
I then resumed my search and continued to move across the infield, back and forth, swinging the coil of the detector with steady movements, hoping that I would get the target signal that I was looking for.
I was getting random target signals here and there, but each time that I put the pinpointer (which is a handheld detector) down to the ground to investigate the potential target, I would discover that it was a coin, pull tab or something else that was below the surface.
Finally, as I neared the pitcher’s mound, approximately 8 feet away from it, I got the perfect signal. It was a bouncy kind of target signal that indicated that the object was above the surface and it came into the range of a palladium wedding band. Just as I looked down to investigate what the detector was picking up in the midst of the dead grass, my eyes zeroed in on the very object that I had been searching for in the past two hours or so! I had found Abdul’s ring! I was so very happy! What a great feeling it was to see the one and only object that I had been hunting for! Because of the location where the band had been resting, I presumed that Abdul must have been pitching at the time when the ring slipped off his finger.
Brian Rudolph Ending Another Successful Search!
I was getting random target signals here and there, but each time that I put the pinpointer (which is a handheld detector) down to the ground to investigate the potential target, I would discover that it was a coin, pull tab or something else that was below the surface. Finally, as I neared the pitcher’s mound, approximately 8 feet away from it, I got the perfect signal. It was a bouncy kind of target signal that indicated that the object was above the surface and it came into the range of a palladium wedding band. Just as I looked down to investigate what the detector was picking up in the midst of the dead grass, my eyes zeroed in on the very object that I had been searching for in the past two hours or so! I had found Abdul’s ring! I was so very happy! What a great feeling it was to see the one and only object that I had been hunting for! Because of the location where the band had been resting, I presumed that Abdul must have been pitching at the time when the ring slipped off his finger.
The other possibility was that he had been taking off his glove while switching sides with the opponent and it came off at that point.
Brian Checking Out the Palladium Wedding Band Up Close!
Whichever the case may have been, I was so delighted that I would soon be able to return the wedding band back to Abdul! That night I rejoiced for his sake and it made me so happy that I could find his ring after no one else on his team could recover it! I also thanked the Lord for giving me the ability to search and recover what Abdul and his wife hoped to get back in their possession! I couldn’t wait to share the good news with its rightful owner!
After taking some photographs and a bit more video, I packed up my gear and left the baseball field with a big smile on my face!
If you would like to view the search video and the ring reveal, please avail yourself to subscribe to my YouTube channel and I will notify you when the video is uploaded in the next few months.
Abdul and Brian Celebrating the Ring Returned to it’s Owner!
There’s nothing like it in the world to be able to return something that means so much to someone else! My gratitude goes out to Chris Turner, CEO of The Ring Findersand for his marvelous vision to save the sentimental from extinction by providing a directory of metal detectorists that connects people like me to people in need like Abdul!
If you would like to watch the SEARCH VIDEO and RING REVEAL pertaining to this story, the YOUTUBE link will be provided shortly. To receive the notification letting you know when the video is uploaded to YOUTUBE, feel free to SUBSCRIBE to BRIAN’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL by typing: THE RING RETURNER.
CALL BRIAN RUDOLPH WITH THE RING FINDERS AT (301) 466-8644 AND HE WILL RETURN TO YOU WHAT HAS BEEN LOST!
SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO BRIAN’S SEARCH VIDEO YOUTUBE CHANNEL TO RECEIVE NOTIFICATIONS WHEN THIS LATEST SEARCH VIDEOIS UPLOADED! BRIAN’S SEARCH VIDEOS ARE FOUND ON HIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL – THE RING RETURNER.
Emily’s 14 Karat White Gold Engagement Ring with Opal Stone and Diamonds
Emily’s 14 Karat White Gold Nesting Band with Diamonds
After a Week at the Bottom of Frederick Maryand’s Monocacy River, Emily’s Beloved Engagement Ring Set was Found and Returned to the Bride-To-Be by Metal Detectorist and Ring Finder, Brian Rudolph!
Emily and Mark Excitedly Show Off the Bride-To-Be’s Beloved Engagement Ring Set That Was Thought to Be Lost in the Monocacy River Forever!
CALL BRIAN RUDOLPH WITH THE RING FINDERS AT (301) 466-8644 AND HE WILL RETURN TO YOU WHAT HAS BEEN LOST!
Emily and Mark got together with a bunch of their friends and headed off to a fun swimming hole near Frederick, Maryland on the Monocacy River, located not far from Monocacy National Battlefield. It was a hot summer day outside, perfect for couples to hang out, take a plunge in the river and make a fun-filled day outside. Unfortunately, their plans started to fall apart quite quickly when Emily’s two rings went missing some time while they were all out by the water. She was pretty convinced that she lost the rings during the 30 minutes of play time in the river with her fiancé. Mark was holding her up while she was lying in his arms in the river, and she believed it was probably at that point when the rings slipped off her finger. Emily didn’t feel the jewelry come off of her finger, but she believed that it was the most probable scenario that the water had something to do with how the rings fell off of her finger.
In Emily’s moment of panic, as she came out of the water, the young lady told the rest of the group what had happened. Immediately a search began to look for the rings out on the riverbank and in the shallow parts of the water where they could see all the way to the bottom. One of the rings that went missing was Emily’s engagement ring. It was made of 14 karat white gold, centered with a lovely opal stone and accompanied by several diamonds surrounding it. The other ring was part of the engagement ring set, a 14 karat white gold nesting band, very petite in size which held three small diamonds along the top of the ring. The sad part of the whole ordeal was that Emily had just received these precious keepsakes on the day that she was proposed to only a month or so earlier (Her wedding date is scheduled for September 2020!).
The fact that the bride-to-be lost both of her rings was very difficult for her to deal with and you can imagine how upset she was for the rest of that day (and for the next week, as well). Everyone kept searching in the water to see if they could spot the rings, but nothing was found. As the group made their way into the deeper area of the river, there was just no way to see that far down in the water where Emily believed the rings may have come off. Besides the loss of her jewelry, the worst part of her afternoon came when she had to leave the river empty-handed.
The couple was desperate to see what they could do to get the newly engaged lady’s rings back. Emily was not about to give up hope yet, and that hope was about to be called by Mark’s future bride! They looked online to find tips on how to pull a ring from a river, and The Ring Finders directory popped up on Google. Emily immediately contacted me and before long we were talking on the phone to make plans for a recovery effort.
I put Emily at ease by telling her that I had successful recovery stories dealing with finding rings in water. Some people told her that the rings most likely had been washed down river which would make it impossible for them to ever be found again. However, I assured her that those rings did not go anywhere after they fell to the bottom of the water. She was relieved at my words.
Once I received all of the details about the missing engagement band set, I asked her additional questions to help me get the entire picture of what we were dealing with. Because she lost the rings at a state park, I told her that I would need to pursue special permissions from the park service in order for me to conduct a recovery mission. She had lost the rings on a Friday, I believe, and then she first contacted me the following day or so. Therefore, I would have to wait another 24 hours before I could contact the park service to request a permit to search the river on Emily and Mark’s behalf. When we got off the phone, we had a plan in place to begin the process of getting me in the Monocacy River as fast as possible!
Monday came and I was on the phone calling various departments connected to Maryland’s state park service. I was initially bounced around between the county of Frederick and the Maryland park service. But, eventually I was able to talk to the right people who set me up with a top administrator who could affirm that I was talking to the correct people to pursue a permit for Emily and Mark. One employee at the park service referred me to a website where I could apply for special permissions to search the water. Metal detectors are strictly prohibited at this particular park as most state parks prohibit the use of any detector. What was supposed to take possibly up to two weeks or more to “hopefully” get a permit request approved, I was able to get an official permit in hand within three days of filling out the paperwork! I was granted full access to the river! Thanks to the hard work of a couple of top administrators at the park service, they were able to push the paper and “cut the red tape” a whole lot faster than the usual process! I was quite excited with the news that I was free to search the water much sooner than later! Though I was only given a specific period of time that I could search the river and after that I would not be able to continue any futures searches, I felt I had a large enough window to get the job done (if the rings were not already plucked out of the water by other metal detectorists).
Every day leading up to when I received the approval to search the river, I kept giving updates to Emily who greatly appreciated all of my efforts. I was delighted to help the couple in every way possible! The next step was to schedule a time to meet Emily and Mark over by the park where the rings went missing the week before. I looked at my calendar and set up the next possible timeslot when I could conduct the search. I needed them to show me where everyone was hanging out on that dreadful afternoon when the rings left Emily’s finger. Then, I could search all of the probable locations where the engagement ring and nesting band fell to the bottom of the Monocacy. We agreed on meeting that Friday, which was the Friday following Mark and Emily’s excursion when the initial happy and fun afternoon suddenly turned so very sad and disappointing for the couple.
Friday arrived and I headed to the Monocacy River to meet Emily in the park where the rings went missing. Mark was not able to join us due to his work schedule. We met in the park parking lot and then Emily walked me to the spot where the group of friends were all hanging out the week earlier. It was a considerable journey through the woods alongside the riverbank before we got to the place where she lost the rings. When we got to the spot where everyone went swimming that day, we walked down onto the riverbank where there were lots of stones and pebbles – perfect for keeping my gear dry above the water.
Frederick Maryland’s Monocacy River
Emily then showed me where she played in the water and where she and Mark drifted downriver approximately 50 yards or so. She had an idea of where she thought she may have held onto some rocks as the water current was taking Mark and Emily downriver. She thought that maybe the rings slipped off when she was trying to brace herself at that time. Emily couldn’t be certain of her predictions because there were times when she was just floating in the water and the rings could have slipped off at any of those moments. In any case, I was given a very good picture of how things looked on the day that the rings disappeared and I then had all of the parameters to work with as to where the rings may have settled to the bottom of the river.
The water depth was probably around two and a half feet to three feet deep closer to the middle of the river and maybe higher in a few other spots. It was very shallow due to the fact that we had gotten so little rain in the weeks leading up to the search. Though most of my body was above the water, the current was quite swift so I did have some opposition from the speed by which the water was traveling. The terrain at the bottom of the river also made the search more complicated because of how difficult it was to move about without tripping over a rock or small boulder.
My search grid would involve a 50 yard area from left to right (down river) and 30 yards from one side of the river to the other side (though Emily and I agreed that I only needed to search 20 yards from our side of the Monocacy riverbed out towards the middle of the river because she didn’t float close to the opposite end of the riverbank). Once we finished going over all of the details, I headed back to the car to put on the rest of my wetsuit and gather all of my gear so I could soon begin the search for Emily’s missing rings!
Emily wasn’t sure if she would ever get her rings back, but I kept telling her that all things are possible if she would keep believing the positive and not doubt. I shared with her that in life, we must doubt our feelings of doubt and believe the impossible can happen. The Bible says, “Everything is possible for him who believes” (Mark 9:23). Yes, it was a large area to search. Yes, it is hard enough to metal detect that amount of space on land, let alone the degree of difficulty in searching a moving body of water like the Monocacy. Yet, I was determined to find Emily’s lost rings. And I didn’t just want to return to her the opal engagement ring, but also the other white gold band, as well! Before I headed out into the water, I prayed that the Lord would favor my search and to give Emily some hope inside to believe for the impossible! God loves the covenant of marriage, as He created it, and her engagement ring was a symbol of promise (betrothal) unto marriage! Therefore, I always know that I have favor from above when searching for lost engagement rings and wedding bands!
Emily’s Rings Lost Somewhere in the Historical Monocacy River
As Emily hung out on the shore, reading and doing some work on her tablet, I began my hunt for the missing rings. Because the items were very petite in size and made of 14 karat white gold, picking up the target signals on the detector would not be easy. Having a small, white gold object lost at the bottom of a body of water is not a good combination. The signals are light and very difficult to hit effectively, especially if you swing the metal detector coil too fast. Every step taken and every decision made out in the river had to be slow and very methodical in the way that I conducted this search.
My first grid was about 20 yards downstream, starting where Emily pointed out the first hotspot to investigate. There were rocks of various sizes covering the bottom of the river and there was nothing but stones in between the larger formations. Not only did I have to metal detect over and around and underneath all of those obstacles, but I would have to deal with many pieces of garbage that were discarded in the water over a long period of time. I found old beer can pop tops along with torn up cans, miscellaneous pieces of aluminum and much more throw-away items of trash. I would end up using two of my Equinox 800 machines with two different size coils. I used a 6 inch coil and an 11 inch coil as well. The smaller coil was helpful to get around some of the larger rocks and downed trees. The larger one was helpful to cover more territory in the river, as long as I wasn’t slowed down by metal trash that was settled close to other pieces of garbage at the bottom of the water.
I believe Emily hung out for a couple of hours before she needed to pack up her things and head on out. She kept a great attitude even though I had not yet found her rings. By the time she started walking back to the car. I told her from the water that I would be relentless in my search in finding what had been lost. Just before she took off, I asked Emily where Mark proposed to her with the rings.I wanted to get the whole story behind these precious pieces of jewelry that became extremely sentimental on the day of the proposal! Everything about the location of where Mark popped the question and how he proposed to Mark was absolutely beautiful and so fairytale like. This only propelled me even more to do whatever necessary to get these rings back on her finger! We said our goodbyes and I assured her that I would give Emily an update upon leaving the park.
If one were to observe the amount of territory that I had to search in this historical river, it would only emit stress on that person and bring lots of second-guessing to the mind based on the difficulty of finding such petite pieces of white gold at the bottom of the water. There were so many places that the bands could have ended up. There weren’t any clues to go by as to whether the rings came off at the same time, or if one came off in one location and then the other slipped off sometime later. Honestly, I loved the challenge and I was just so happy to give it my all in attempting to return these sentimental pieces back to Emily.
The main strategy that I implemented was to continue searching all of the hotspot locations where Emily may have lost the rings and focus my efforts on gridding each pass, heading downriver and then back up the river, approximately a distance of 20 feet for each pass. The width of the grid parameter was probably around 20 yards left to right.
While I was out there in the middle of the river, I couldn’t help but be so grateful for the beautiful weather that I was experiencing. It was warm outside, with no chance of rain in the forecast. To be surrounded by such amazing creations of God, there was just nothing like it! Then, add to the experience the whole idea of searching for lost items that mean so very much to another human being, it makes life so fulfilling and fun!
I had given myself a good five or six hour window to search the river that day. Afterwards, I would need to head north to Pennsylvania, near historical Gettysburg for a wedding that I was attending. I had been invited by a grateful couple that I helped in recovering the bride-to-be’s engagement ring that was lost 40 yards out in the Atlantic Ocean just two weeks before the wedding! She lost the ring on her bachelorette party weekend! I was quite honored to be a part of the festivities! It was kind of special that at one point in the day I was searching for a bride-to-be’s engagement ring set, and then later that night I would be celebrating the wedding of a bride who would be wearing the ring that I was able to return to her from the depths of the ocean! I thought that it would make an even more enchanting story if I was able to recover Emily’s rings before having to continue north towards Pennsylvania that afternoon!
Four hours passed by and I continued my detecting efforts in the water for the missing rings. Each time I covered a section of the river, I was only encouraged that I had eliminated more possibilities as to where the jewelry could have ended up. I had not lost any of my drive and enthusiasm for finding Emily’s rings. I kept swinging my detector in straight lines going up and down the river and then side to side. I was continuing to cover a distance of about 20 yards wide and search in 20 yard sections of the entire 50 yards, up and down the river.
At some point, I was finishing one of my grid passes when I hit a signal that was in the range of Emily’s lost rings. This was not the first time that day that I had gotten other potential targets to check out. In fact, I had plenty of them. In those first many hours of searching, I consistently pulled pieces of trash out of the water, but no rings had been found. This current signal was yet another one that I needed to check out. I knew the exact range of VDI numbers (these are numbers that help to identify the type of metal the target could potentially be) to look for on my machine and this piece of metal was showing the kind of target that got me curious! The numbers on my Equinox 800 detector screen were dancing around a number: four, five, seven, nine, and I believe eleven, as well. I was looking for such low numbers on the scale of my detector and I knew that the signal that I wanted was not going to pound hard in the headphones. Rather, it was going to be light and questionable. These rings were very petite, and therefore there wasn’t a lot of white gold on them at all to be detected easily. Like I did with many other potential signals that day, I reached down into the water, right over the spot where my metal detector had picked up the signal, and I surveyed the metal object with my Garrett handheld detector called a “pinpointer” in order to isolate the location where the object was resting. Once I was confident of the exact area where I knew the object was hiding, I placed the handheld detector off to the side (which was attached to a cord and clipped to my harness belt), grabbed a cluster of stones and sediment in the vicinity of where the buried object was and brought it all up to the surface for review. I have to use this type of method in rivers because it is impossible to use a scoop in this type of environment due to the quantity of stones and rocks that are stuck to the bottom of the water. Therefore, I have to use my hands to bring up the objects that I am potentially looking for. Next, I grabbed my pinpointer again and scanned over the contents that were in my hand to see if I found the metal object that I had detected moments earlier. To my great surprise, my eyes first focused in on the loveliest opal stone, then some small diamonds surrounding it came into view, and finally I saw the white gold band! Indeed, I had found the engagement ring! It was a fantastic moment! In this vast area of water, I had recovered this small precious keepsake! Like a needle in a haystack!
Though I had nobody around to share the excitement with, I expressed all of my joy and happiness into my GoPro video camera that I had been using to document the entire search up to that point! I gave thanks to the Lord for giving me the ability to find the ring and bring it up from the river where it had been resting at the bottom for over a week! I was thrilled at finding the band! Between the two rings, this one was the most important one to Emily because it was her engagement ring. Yet, I was not going to stop at that point. I would continue searching for the nesting band once I secured the recently found item in my zipped up case attached to my metal detector harness. I made sure that Emily’s opal ring was not going to be lost again in that river!
Discovering one of the sought-after pieces that went missing was such a boost of encouragement to me! My search methods that day were working effectively! So far, I had not believed that I had overlooked either target that I was after! Could I have missed the other ring due to it consisting of a thin band of white gold? It was possible. But, I kept my mindset on believing that I was thorough and accurate in my grid moves. When one is detecting in water, there are no cones or tape to keep you walking in a straight line! You have to be extremely careful not to move too far to the right or to the left, or sweep too short on either side of your body as you move forward with the detector.
Once I found the first of the two lovely rings, I was back at it again, searching for the second one, which was even thinner than the engagement ring. I had barely gotten a decent signal off of the last ring and so I was confident that this one would be even harder to recover. I believe I had another 30 minutes or so for me to try to strike gold, but at the conclusion of that search day I was unable to walk out of the river with both rings. I had no time left and it was imperative that I got on the road and start heading towards Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for the wedding that would take place later that evening.
Before I made my way out of the river, I took note of where I had found the first ring and I would resume my search the following day. How could I have not been pleased with the results so far? I was able to recover half of what I was sent out to help with and there was still more work to be done! I walked out of the water and gathered up my gear and returned back to the parking lot, packed my things in the car, changed out of my wetsuit and then headed north.
During the whole drive to the hotel, I couldn’t stop thinking about how blessed I was to recover the engagement ring! I couldn’t wait to get back in the water and search for the nesting band! In keeping my word to Emily, I called her but I had to leave a voicemail message. I was vague about my search, hoping I could surprise her the next day with the news that I had found both rings, and not just the opal engagement ring. That was my hope!
The next morning, I left the hotel and drove south to Washington D.C.. I had received an urgent call from a desperate husband who shared that the day before his wife had lost her wedding band at the National Zoo. I immediately headed to the Nation’s Capital to help the couple out. Once I completed the search in D.C., I drove back north again, which was 45 minutes in the direction towards the Monocacy River.
Upon arrival, I once again setup all of my gear along the river bank and quickly made my way over to where I had found the engagement ring the day before. I knew the location because there was a particular formation of rocks along the side of the river, and I had lined up that formation with the place that I had found the first ring in the middle of the river. I knew that if I started walking from those rocks straight out into the middle of the river, I would end up at the location where I found the first ring. Secondly, I could feel a certain rock with my dive boots that was below the surface of the water and it was near that rock that I had found the engagement ring very close to that particular formation. From that point, I counted approximately 30 feet down the river and that was where I had finished my search the day before. I was now ready to begin the second chapter of my recovery efforts
For me, I love the thrill of the challenge to find what is not easily obtainable, especially out in the middle of a river. The current was much faster than the day before, so I needed to work smart and place my feet in certain positions where I would not lose my balance from the swift movement of the water. It was another lovely day outside and once again I could not ask for better weather conditions.
My strategy of the day was to not change anything with the way I searched the day before. I kept doing my grid lines with the same method that I had implemented on Friday and I worked my way farther down the river and then back up again, pushing my way against the stubborn water flow. Then, I would move back down the river and continued to do this in straight lines. Not knowing when the two rings came off of Emily’s finger, it led me to tighten up my mental focus. I had to tell myself that finding the other ring was obtainable just as I found the first one, even though it was a lot more petite and the gold was even thinner than the band of the first ring. I had no idea what the distance was between the first ring falling off and when the second one hit the bottom of the river. However, I wasn’t going to be intimidated by how much more territory needed to be detected!
Approximately 45 minutes into my second search that day, I had searched approximately 20 square yards of river from where I found the engagement ring. Like before, I moved the metal detector slowly so that I would not miss any potential signals that I might swing across. So far, all of the targets that I pulled out of the water that afternoon were small pieces of aluminum – still no ring to be found. At some point, as I continued down the river, slightly detecting to the right side of the water, I hit a signal that was extremely light and almost unrecognizable on my detector. I moved the coil back and forth a little bit more and I was still picking up this particular target that matched white gold. From certain angles I was not getting any reading on my detector screen, so I had to move the detector coil at different positions just to see if I was getting a false reading or not. The signal still showed up and that’s when I started getting more curious. Most detectorists would have moved right across that target because it really didn’t appear to contain much of any metal to consider pulling it up. Someone else would have mistaken it as a small piece of aluminum foil. Because I knew better with white gold targets, I was not about to pass it up. I took my pinpointer and placed it down into the water right over the spot where my detector coil was resting. Then, I removed the coil from the area and immediately the pinpointer found the metal object. The target was obviously just inches from where my hand was positioned! Also, I could tell that it was a small target by the way the tip of the pinpointer was sounding off. Next, I removed the pinpointer out of the way and quickly grabbed a handful of sediment and rocks where the target was resting. Bringing my handful of stones and sand up to the surface, I immediately scanned the contents for the mysterious metal object. I believe that my first attempt came up with nothing and so I repeated the steps over again until I was certain that this time I hadn’t left the item at the bottom of the river.
I once again used my pinpointer to detect the clump of stones and sediment that was in my hand, and finally the piece of metal was detected by the pinpointer! Whatever it was, I now had it inside my grip! I knew the object was very small because it was surprisingly hidden in the midst of all of the river stones and sediment. I moved my finger through the items and it was then that I saw it! It wasn’t a scrap piece of aluminum from a drinking can, nor was it part of an old used ketchup packet or flimsy milk peel top! Not at all! It was a petite, white gold ring with a very thin band holding 3 small diamonds that were spread out along the top of the precious metal! I immediately knew that I had found the second missing ring because I recognized the details from a photo that Emily had previously provided for me! I did it! I found the nesting band that was part of the original engagement ring set! I could not have been more surprised by my findings based on how weak the target signal was! What an awesome moment!
Unless you are a ring finder like those found in The Ring Finders directory, it’s hard to describe the feeling inside when you discover the very object that you were on a mission to recover. When you find the sought-after keepsake that means so much to someone else, there’s almost a feeling of electricity that works through you! There’s such a rush within that excites all of one’s senses when the missing item is found and then returned to its owner! With search and recovery missions like this one, the degree of difficulty is so large that when one finds the lost property (like in the case of these two missing rings), there is just no greater feeling in the world! Taking on a challenge like this and being able to deliver to the distraught owner, not just one ring, but to find both rings in separate areas in the river, 20 yards apart, there are few words to accurately describe the entire experience!
Metal Detectorist, Brian Rudolph, Successfully Returned Both Rings to Emily and Mark! Call Brian Rudolph to Help You Find Your Lost Keepsakes at (301) 466-8644
I was so thrilled and overjoyed to find this second ring! I held up the nesting band and kissed it, yelling out loud, “Yes! I did it! I found it! Yes!” All kinds of words of excitement and relief flowed from within me, realizing at that moment that I was able to successfully fulfill this mission! I remember just standing there in the middle of the river, holding Emily’s ring in my hand, knowing at that point in time that there was nothing left to recover from the water! My search was over! It was extremely gratifying for me to leave the riverbank with my equipment in one hand and the recently discovered gold band that was zipped up in my harness case! I couldn’t wait to surprise Emily and her fiancé Mark with the good news! As I walked through the woods along the path leading back to the parking lot, I could see the river through the tree line, and I thought to myself, “I did it! I conquered the Monocacy!” At that moment I could only give thanks to the Lord for something as extraordinary as what had just taken place in the last 24 hours!
If you would like to see the video of me revealing the rings to Emily and Mark, please subscribe to the YouTube channel link provided below, and you will receive a notification when the video is uploaded in the next few months. It is worth waiting for! I promise!
Emily Couldn’t Have Been More Happy to Hold Her Missing Rings Once Again!
Emily and Mark were beyond excited to receive the missing rings back in their possession! My efforts to recover the special keepsakes in the Monocacy River were 100% successful and the couple was pleasantly shocked with surprise at the outcome! The look on their faces when I returned both rings will always be fixed in my mind! They were so happy and relieved at the sight of those beautiful bands that had disappeared below the water over a week earlier and located 45 minutes away from where Emily and Mark resided! Now, the engagement set was returned home for good! Emily’s finger was finally reunited with its newly found friends (the ring set), and together they now await the arrival of yet another ring this autumn…the wedding band!
CALL BRIAN RUDOLPH WITH THE RING FINDERS AT (301) 466-8644 AND HE WILL RETURN TO YOU WHAT HAS BEEN LOST!
SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO BRIAN’S SEARCH VIDEO YOUTUBE CHANNEL TO RECEIVE NOTIFICATIONS WHEN THIS LATEST SEARCH VIDEOIS UPLOADED! BRIAN’S SEARCH VIDEOS ARE FOUND ON HIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL – THE RING RETURNER.
To receive a NOTIFICATION letting you know when the video is uploaded to YOUTUBE: go to YOUTUBE by CLICKING THE LINK BELOW or OPEN your YOUTUBE APP on your device, go to the SEARCH BAR, type: THE RING HERO, click SUBSCRIBE and lastly, CLICK ON THE « BELL » to receive NOTIFICATIONS when this latest search video is available to view! 
VISIT 
A very handsome one at that! I lit up with excitement and disbelief! At any point in time, the ring could have been spotted and pocketed by someone in that neighbor’s backyard over the years before it made its way into the ground! Or, it could have been buried up against the fence line, never to be detected or ever recovered! I thanked the Lord for guiding me to this spot and giving me the wisdom necessary to locate and pull this keepsake from the ground!
