Avalon NJ Lost Earring Found by Ring Finders South Jersey John Favano


Ask any seasoned metal detectorist and they will tell you how challenging it can be to find tiny gold-stud earrings. The miniscule amount of metal, together with their shape, makes detection nearly impossible for standard detectors, even for higher-end units. Over the years, however, I’ve learned there are other detection tools that can be used, such as the one I used to find a lost diamond-stud earring belonging to Libertyville, Illinois resident, Abbie O’Connor.
Abbie recently received the earrings as 40th-birthday gift from her husband, Michael. Safely secured in a jewelry box along with her wedding rings, the O’Connor’s adorable and unpredictable two-year old suddenly threw the box like a baseball out into the couple’s backyard. Abbie watched in horror as the box and contents ricocheted off a rock, ejecting its contents out into the grass. All but one of the earrings was recovered. Despite many hours of meticulous searching, even with metal-detection equipment, the precious earring remained at large.
After a few days of intense searching, Abbie discovered my metal detection services on the Ring Finder’s directory of metal-detecting specialists. After speaking with Abbie on the phone, I arranged to meet with her and her husband on location, an hour and half drive from my home in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Using the matched earring as a test specimen, I found it was barely detectible, even with my XP Deus 2, High Frequency coil. Time to bring out another tool, an extremely-sensitive, gold-prospecting device made by Falcon Metal Detectors, in Arizona. The Gold-Tracker MD20, uses a unique wand that responds to even the tiniest of gold nuggets. But it also responds to other types of metal. Since the O’Conner’s backyard was full of the usual metallic debris such as leftovers from roofing and construction projects, it was a challenge to suppress those signals without also sacrificing the earring’s presence.
A systematic search of the grass failed to locate the missing jewelry. Probing through a rock garden, complete with flourishing Hosta plants, likewise proved futile. Michael even cut down some of the Hosta plants in case the earring had lodged itself in one of the leaves. We set up a plastic swimming pool and scanned all the plant material, to no avail.
The next area involved some large patio stones. In between the stones was a pencil-thick mixture of weeds and sand. These seams were potential hiding places for the tiny piece of jewelry. A systematic scan of the patio resulted in a clear metallic signal between two of the stones. Upon further investigation, a tiny sparkle appeared. And Michael’s smile tells the rest of the story.
Abbie’s Testimony:
I cannot recommend Paul highly enough. After losing a diamond stud earring in my backyard, I spent hours searching through the grass with no luck. I was heartbroken and had nearly given up hope of ever finding it again.
That’s when I found Paul. He came to my home equipped with an impressive array of metal-detecting equipment and immediately got to work. What stood out most was his determination—he spent more than three hours searching in the heat and sun and simply refused to give up. He was on his hands and knees combing through the yard, treating the search as if it were his own precious item that had been lost.
Beyond his skill and persistence, Paul is one of the most trustworthy and genuine people I’ve met. Inviting someone onto your property and trusting them with something so valuable can feel daunting, but Paul immediately put me at ease. He was professional, honest, respectful, and incredibly kind throughout the entire process.
Just when I thought all hope was lost, Paul found my earring. I truly don’t believe anyone else would have worked as hard or cared as much as he did. If you’ve lost something valuable—especially something with sentimental meaning—you can trust Paul completely. His integrity, dedication, and determination are second to none.
Thank you, Paul, for finding something I thought was gone forever.
Nashotah, Wisconsin resident, Joe Judd, was enjoying an evening cigar on his boat dock one evening on Okauchee Lake when a sprig of ash fell onto his pantleg. Instinctively, he brushed the ash off with a flip of his hand but as he did, Joe saw his gold-wedding ring fly off and disappear into the water. He stared in disbelief at the aquatic plants and mud some 5-feet deep where the ring fell. He thought the ring was gone forever.
Later, at a Poker gathering with friends, Joe shared his sad story. That’s when someone mentioned ‘a guy’ in the area who finds lost rings, a guy named Paul. When Joe went online, he discovered my listing on The Ring Finder’s directory of metal-detecting specialists and reached out to me by phone.
Joe wasn’t sure just how deep was the water, let alone the depth of the mud. He guessed about 5-feet. Turns out his estimate was pretty accurate. After donning a search-and-rescue dry suit, I waded out into the icy-cold lake up to my neck and began to probe the mud with my SCUBA-rated XP Deus 2 detector. Joe sat close by on the dock, fascinated by the process.
It didn’t take long to isolate a promising signal, one well in the range of 18k gold. After several scoops of Okauchee-Lake ‘pudding,’ shells, plants and stones, Joe’s wedding ring finally surfaced in my scoop. I set it on the dock and watched Joe’s eyes widen in disbelief! “And that’s how it’s done,” I quipped. 
The smile of amazement and joy on Joe’s face tells the rest of the story. And he couldn’t wait to tell his Poker buddies all about it that night.
If you or someone you know has lost a ring, recent, long ago, on land, in snow or in a lake, don’t let its story end. Call me; I love putting smiles on people’s faces!
A quick round of golf ended on a sad note for Glendale, Wisconsin, resident, Hans Wiersholm. Married just last September, his gold wedding band went missing while playing golf at the picturesque Glendale Lakes Golf Club.
A quick internet search resulted in Hans finding me on The Ring Finder’s directory of metal-detecting specialists. I was on my knees in the grass and searching for someone else’s lost jewelry when my cellphone rang. It was Hans. He explained his situation and we arranged to meet at the golf course that same evening. No pun intended, but the prospects of finding a small gold ring on a golf course was definitely a ‘long shot!’ I had visions of searching long into the night.
Upon arrival, I cross-examined Hans’ storyline and found out he had removed his golf gloves on at least two occasions. These events provided a plausible, forensic explanation for the ring coming off Han’s hand, the kind of ‘event’ that can help to narrow a search area. Following Hans, I searched the fairway on the first hole using an extra-large coil, one I keep for this very purpose. Just as we approached the green, a signal in the deep grass invited my attention—it was Hans’ ring!
Hans had a look of disbelief when I showed him his ring! Clearly, it was more than a ring! He thought it was gone forever!
Thank you, Hans, for reaching out to me for help. I am honored that you contacted me and that we were able to get your ring back on your hand where it belongs.
If you or someone you know has lost a ring, even long ago, don’t let its story end. Call me; I love putting smiles on people’s faces!
Saturday, May 16th, started as springtime Saturdays often do, catching up with errands and yard work. But for New Berlin resident, Margaret West, the day turned to agonized disappointment when she realized her platinum and diamond wedding rings were missing from her hand. She had worn it for nearly 25 years! Now it was gone!
Margaret wasn’t sure whether the ring came off in the house, in her garage, in the yard or while out shopping. Her grief, overwhelming, she spent over 12-hours searching, but to no avail. It seemed the ring was gone forever.
Margaret’s daughter found me on The Ring Finder’s directory of metal detecting specialists. I received a text from Margaret the next week. Would I be willing to take on her case? After reviewing the forensic details with Margaret in a telephone conversation, I arranged to meet her and her husband on location at her home. Margaret slipped away from work on her lunch break to show me where she had been working in her garden and in her garage. Before she returned to work, I quickly searched her vehicle to make sure the ring had not fallen off inside. I sensed her hopelessness and sadness as she departed and offered, “Don’t lose hope, Margaret. Keep your fingers and toes crossed!”
I began searching the garden areas in front the house. They contained a combination of junipers and annuals. These bordered the grass with plastic edging material. Since Margaret had been pulling weeds out of the garden and throwing them out into the lawn for disposal, I decided to scan the lawn area to make sure the ring had not come off her hand in the process. Only a few minutes into the search, I heard a distinct signal in my headset, one that stood out from all the other metallic debris in the grass. The conductivity numbers were in the range of platinum. Removing some leaves, Margaret’s lost-wedding ring came to light! 
Under pretense of asking questions, I invited Damon, Margaret’s husband, to join me in front of the house. Since Damon had an electronics background, I explained how the detecting technology worked to detect and locate specific metals. Then I gave him my detection probe and let him locate his wife’s ring using it. I might have encouraged a new hobby for Damon because it didn’t take him long to discover the ring! He then sent photo images to his wife at work.
The next day, Margaret drove near my home in Waukesha to meet my wife and I and to personally deliver a hug of thanks. The ring was back on her hand! And just in time; the West’s are celebrating their 25th anniversary in August. It is clearly more than a ring!
If you or someone you know has lost a ring, even long ago, don’t let its story end. Call me; I love putting smiles on people’s faces!
This has to be the most unique and satisfying recovery to date, this wonderful lady was driving in her car with her husband when all three of her rings came off. This heart breaking story was due to significant weight loss due to a recent bout with cancer, her husband worked hard and saved for two years to purchase these rings. Their hearts were broken and sad when they were able to recover two of the three rings but not the third. Her car was searched not with a metal detector but with a bore scope and hand tools used for engine work. Her ring was found by removing her seat and finding it lodged beneath the carpet where the carpet was slit by the factory to make room for an electrical contact.
Many thanks for the opportunity to help reunite you with your ring! 
opening.
Losing a ring on the beach in Cape May, NJ can happen faster than most people expect.
That’s exactly what happened to Abbey during a recent beach day.
After applying sunscreen, residue built up under Abbey’s rings. When she removed one, it slipped from her hand and vanished into the sand.
Despite searching for over 30 minutes, the ring could not be found.
At that point, she made the right decision—calling a professional lost ring finder in Cape May, NJ.
I received Abbey’s call and was on-site within 30 minutes.
Using a metal detector designed for beach recovery, I began a controlled grid search of the target area.
Within minutes, I located a strong signal.
One scoop later, the ring was recovered safely from the sand.
This wasn’t just any ring.
It was Abbey’s grandmother’s wedding band, now part of her own wedding set. The sentimental value made the recovery even more meaningful.
Abbey shared her experience:
“John arrived quickly and found my ring in just minutes. I’m incredibly grateful to have my grandmother’s wedding band back. I highly recommend his service to anyone in this situation.”

I received a text from an unknown number asking if I am the guy who finds things. His co-worker lost a cell phone in a retention pond. I started asking questions like, « How deep is the pond? » He said 4 – 5 feet deep. He then put me in touch with Danyl.
Danyl said that her son was using her phone and received some very upsetting news. He threw her phone & it ended up in the pond. Turns out Danyl is also a 1st responder in Ventnor. Our schedules weren’t lining up. We were able to meet 2 weeks later. I told her it was a slim chance that a phone underwater that long would still work. She wanted to try, since there were pictures on it that weren’t backed up.
It was Monday evening, April 10th. Milwaukee resident, Matt Duellmann, was enjoying playing beach volleyball at Fat Daddy’s, the popular Sport’s Pub in Milwaukee. He was there with his good friend and volleyball teammate, Gabe Stoltz. That’s when Matt’s white-gold wedding ring flew off his hand. Matt had worn it for nearly two years. Despite searching with rakes and using a metal detector, Matt’s ring eluded discovery.
To make matters worse, just 5-minutes before, Matt’s friend and teammate, Gabe Stoltz, felt his tantalum wedding ring leave his hand. Both rings vanished in the deep sand.
I was getting ready for bed when I received a text message from Gabe’s wife letting me know about the two lost wedding rings. Could I assist? Over the years I’ve learned that time is of the essence with lost ring searches. And so, I arranged to meet Gabe on location within the hour, arriving around 11:00 p.m.
I performed a quick forensic overview of the events leading up to the ring losses. Gabe showed me where he was standing when the ring vanished and I could see the tell-tail rake marks in the sand.
As is so often the case, the volleyball court was full of metallic debris, coins, foil wrappers, pull tabs and bottle caps. But knowing the conductivity value of tantalum, I could safely ignore many of these signals. Finally, a deep, but clean tantalum-signal invited investigation. Sure enough, it was Gabe’s ring! 
We then quickly moved to the area where Matt had lost his ring. A systematic grid search brought his white-gold ring to light as well. Two losses, two searches, two finds and two grateful smiles!