I recently received a call from a local resident just a few miles from my home—a rare treat in my line of work as a ring finder. The woman from the Lindstrom family had been out in her yard, enjoying a playful afternoon tossing a toy with her dog, when she suddenly realized her mother’s cherished ring was missing from her finger. This wasn’t just any piece of jewelry; it held deep sentimental value, making the loss all the more devastating.
She quickly rallied friends to help search the area, even borrowing a metal detector, though they weren’t quite sure how to operate it effectively. Complicating matters was the six inches of fresh snow blanketing the ground. Undeterred, the group tried pouring hot water to melt patches of snow and reveal the ring beneath, but after exhaustive efforts, they came up empty-handed. To make things worse, another eight inches of snow was forecasted to fall soon, threatening to bury any cleared spots and turn the search into an even greater challenge.
Eventually, they discovered The Ring Finders online—a directory of metal-detecting specialists dedicated to recovering lost items. She reached out via text to the three of us serving the Twin Cities area. My colleagues were eager to assist but noted that I was the closest, so they deferred to me. I didn’t notice her message right away, but once I did—a couple of hours later—I called her back immediately. I was already out running errands, so I swung by home to grab my gear and promised to be there in about 15 minutes. This was roughly two to three days after the ring had gone missing.
It was a bitterly cold afternoon, the kind where equipment can act up if you’re not careful. I bundled up and began methodically scanning the yard. After about 20 minutes, I picked up a few promising signals. One in particular stood out—a solid hit that briefly registered, though I couldn’t tell if it was a glitch from the cold or interference from nearby targets. I swung the detector back over the spot, but it didn’t repeat. Deciding to switch to my backup detector for a fresh perspective, I restarted the grid search.
Sure enough, in that same area, I got a clear, strong tone this time. I knelt down, carefully brushing away the snow, and there it was: the ring, gleaming in the fading light. I’d been searching alongside the client’s husband, and the look on his face was priceless—pure shock mixed with overwhelming relief. I could see his wife watching from the window, her face lighting up with joy. It was one of those moments that reminds me why I do this. I snapped a couple of quick photos of the ring and one with her husband holding it triumphantly before handing it over. Another happy ending in the books!
