A glorious summer afternoon found Indiana resident, Sandy C and her children visiting the picturesque South Beach in Port Washington, Wisconsin. It was a perfect outing, that is, until a tiny diamond pendant slipped off its necklace, vanishing in the Lake Michigan waves. The necklace held huge sentimental value for Sandy; it was a wedding anniversary present. Losing it was heartbreaking. Losing it in Lake Michigan’s surf, even more devasting!

Within hours, Sandy located me on the Ring Finder’s online directory of metal-detecting specialists and reached out by text. Could I find something so little, Sandy wondered. She was an hour’s drive away from my home in Waukesha. We arranged to meet on location a couple hours later.

Upon arrival, Sandy helped transport various pieces of equipment to the spot she had marked in the sand. I had two detectors with me, a larger one for general-purpose sweeping in the water and a smaller wand-type detector used by gold prospectors; its extreme sensitivity comes in handy when searching for small jewelry items like diamond-stud earrings and pendants. In addition, I employed an invention of my own, a commercial dishwashing basket designed for cleaning cutlery. I fitted the plastic basket with a fine filtration screen also made from plastic. This sieve prevents tiny metal targets, like Sandy’s pendant, from falling through the holes. And the absence of any metal on the sieve allows it to be scanned with metal-detecting equipment. Attached with nylon zip ties, Styrofoam pool noodles encased the basket, making it float in the water. It was designed for the exact kind of search Sandy’s tiny pendant required.

Faint signals in the surf, invited several scoops of sand and pebbles. I deposited the contents into my custom sieve and showed Sandy how to search through the contents, both visually and with the help of my prospector’s wand. Tiny bits of nails and a piece of wire came to light.

About twenty minutes later another faint signal, deep in the sand, invited investigation. I removed a large scoop of sand, rocks and seashells, emptying them into my custom sieve. Sandy got busy washing through the mixture in search of her precious pendant. That is when, above the din of the waves, I heard Sandy cry out, “THERE IT IS!” The smile on Sandy’s face tells the rest of the story as did the tears and hugs of joy that followed.

It is incredible really, that such a tiny metal object can be recovered under such daunting circumstances. The likelihood of success is almost as small as the lost item. But with the help of technology, innovation, experience and determination, Sandy’s tiny pendant now lives on around her neck.

If you or someone you know has lost a precious piece of jewelry, recent or long ago, even in the water, don’t let its story end. Call me or another member of the Ring Finders near you. We’d love to add your smile to the growing list of people who are so glad they did.