The Ring Finders Blog

57 Year old Engagement Ring Found in Seaweed on Reef

  • from Paihia (New Zealand)
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On Sunday, Margaret was snorkelling at Maitai Bay when she felt her wedding ring catch on her knuckle. As she reseated it, she realised her engagement ring of 57 years had already slipped off into the water.

With heavy hearts, the family returned home, leaving the ring somewhere out in the water.

The next day, Margaret’s daughter visited a jewellers in Kerikeri who suggested she contact me.
I got the call, loaded the water-hunting gear into the car, and headed north to Maitai Bay.

Sarah, Margaret’s daughter, met me there and we went to the spot where they’d been snorkelling — a small rocky bay with crystal-clear, calm water and a steady stream of snorkellers coming and going. Fortunately, the sandy bottom and tidal surges meant the ring was likely buried and hidden from sight.

After my usual “20 questions” with Sarah to narrow down the highest-probability areas, it was clear there was a 50:50 chance I’d need to return with scuba gear. If the ring was in deeper water, at least it would be safe from the many beady eyes peering down from the surface.
While Sarah and her brother searched by snorkelling nearby, I began a systematic detector search. Time passed and Sarah eventually had to head off, leaving me to continue into the afternoon.

A couple of hours later, after expanding the search area, I was ferreting around in the kelp along the edge of the reef and, under the kelp, nestled in a small crevice in the rock, was the gold and diamond ring.

It had likely slipped off when Margaret was either climbing onto, or off, a small rock for a rest.

The next day, I met the family in Kerikeri and had the pleasure of handing the ring back to Margaret.
As a bonus, her granddaughter had made me a beautiful thank-you card, which has now joined the others on the shelf above my desk

   

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Heirloom Wedding Ring Recovered from Estuary at Pataua

  • from Paihia (New Zealand)
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Robyn rang me, pretty upset. Her husband had just lost his wedding ring while swimming in the estuary at Pātaua. It had slipped off just a few hours earlier, but by the time she called, the tide was already well on its way in putting it out of reach.

We had two choices: wait until morning and search in daylight, or hit the road straight away and catch the next low tide at midnight.
I didn’t have anything planned that night, and Robyn and her husband were keen to do whatever it took to get the ring back. So I loaded the car and started the two-hour drive south.

I arrived at about half tide at 9:30pm, and the outgoing current was… impressive!
The plan was to work the shallows first, then move gradually deeper as the tide eased and the current dropped. Wearing both of my dive weight belts — I normally only use one 35kg belt, but together they put me at around 50kg of lead — I staggered into the water and began the search pattern.

I was covering ground faster than expected and easily keeping ahead of the falling water level. Soon I was chest-deep, leaning hard into the current with my toes dug into the sand downstream.
Fighting the current was relentless — Much harder than a surf recovery. At least in the surf you get a slight break between waves.
I was right on the balance point of traction vs current when I heard a clean gold tone in the headphones.
I had absolutely no spare weight to transfer to the scoop, and I was starting to slide and lose grip in the shelly bottom. Getting swept downstream was becoming a real risk, so discretion won.

The target wasn’t going anywhere. If things went south, I didn’t want the added work of later trying to find my ditched weightbelts as well.
I took a few transit bearings in the moonlight to mark the spot, then carefully worked my way back to shore to wait.

It didn’t take long before the level had dropped 6″ or so, enough to have another shot.
I waded back out and lined myself up again. The current was still strong, but that little bit less depth made all the difference.
Within minutes I’d relocated the target and managed to force the scoop into position against the flow. First bite – and silence from the coil. It was in the scoop.

I waded back into the shallows, washed the sand out of the basket, and there it was, in the torchlight: a gold ring sitting on the shells in the corner.

Robyn and Lars were rapt – and I think still half in disbelief.

I finally got home around 1am and crawled into bed completely exhausted.

Worth it.

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SCUBA Recovery of Wedding Ring off beach

  • from Paihia (New Zealand)
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“The ring is gone forever.”
That’s what most people assume.

After 38 years of metal detecting, I’ve learned that “lost forever” is seldom true.

Tracy posted on Facebook asking for someone with a metal detector, and the community pointed her my way. Her husband Jason had been swimming at Coopers Beach and returned to shore without his wedding ring.
Not just any ring – it had been made from the melted-down wedding rings of Tracy’s late father and grandfather. Completely irreplaceable.

We met at the 5:30am low tide next day. Jason showed me where he entered the water and the buoy he’d swum out to. The search area was huge. Recent inwards sand movement let me wade a long way out, so I focused on clearing the bulk of the area before further sand movement.

Hours passed. My pouch filled with fishing sinkers and wisps of foil from long-corroded beer cans. 47 targets dug, no ring.
Jason thanked me for trying – but I wasn’t finished.

I returned for the evening tide. Two more hours. Still nothing.

Day 2: Jason organised some SCUBA mates. While they searched near the buoy, I extended my search lines. More junk. By now I’d cleared the water out to 1.6m deep (nostril depth!) — it was becoming a dive job.

The next day, after a quick 5-minute ring recovery nearby, nothing special to warrant a writeup, I closed off the final wading area for Jason – in my normal clothes as I didn’t have my togs with me. Two more hours confirmed it, the ring was in SCUBA territory.
Conditions were perfect this morning. Jason provided kayak cover while I laid search lines on the seabed. This is when experience matters – the buoy chain alignment showed the buoy had shifted about 90° since the ring was lost. With ±10m of chain on the bottom and sustained northerlies immediately prior to when Jason had his swim, the target area was now focused to the south of the buoy.
I adjusted the pattern and worked the southern arc, a very large eagle ray cruised out of the murk, curious, then pivoted 180° and disappeared again.
Then, a low “double-thud” in the headphones. I know this sound well!

I fanned the sand away, and sitting in the bottom of the resulting depression about 10cm under the sand, yellow gold flashed in the sunlight.
Doing my best Arthurian legend “Lady of the Lake” moment, I surfaced holding the ring up at arms length in front of Jason. His reaction said it all, however, I can’t repeat the actual words here!

I still had ‘housework’ to do down below, bringing in the lines and the ring stayed clipped to a carabiner until we were safely ashore.
Back at the beach, the relief when Jason slid it back on his finger was immense.

Moments like this never get old.

And my near-perfect hit rate continues.

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Water Search for 3 day Old Wedding Ring at Midnight

  • from Paihia (New Zealand)
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Can you imagine losing your brand new, 3-day old platinum wedding ring?
That’s exactly what Palm did at Whale Bay near Matapouri in New Zealand, and he and his wife Rosa were desperate to find it!
Every sentimental ring has memories attached to it, gathered over the years. Some, like Palm’s 3-day old platinum wedding ring, start collecting their stories early!

His wife, Rosa, phoned me the other evening asking if I could help after Palm lost his ring at Whale Bay. They were desperate— after all, it had only been on his finger for three days, and they were going to be leaving the area in two…

I made arrangements to head down after work the following evening and target the midnight low tide. They drove out to meet me at 9pm, and we made the long trek to Whale Bay – it’s a long walk wearing 30kg of weightbelt!

Palm said he had been “neck deep,” so the ring was likely below the low tide mark. I checked where they had been sitting and the intertidal zone first. Nothing. So I pulled out the water kit and started the search in the shallows, progressively working my way out into deeper water.
Whale Bay is thankfully fairly devoid of metallic litter, so the few junk targets of old fishing reel pieces and 5 cent coins got my heart racing… but it went double time when a visitor joined me in the water!

I typically don’t use a torch for beach searches at night, preferring to hunt in the dark and don’t do deep wades at night in summer, having been ‘bumped’ a couple of times in the past. It always makes the heart skip when sharks seemingly teleport out of nowhere, even in daylight. I was about chest deep when I saw the phosphorescence in the water light up in a cloud as it slid past—about 1.5 to 2 metres long. The torch went on and I watched it turn and come back. It wasn’t that lovely copper colour of a Bronzie (I don’t mind those guys, they’re just big puppies) but the indigo/blue of a Mako.

I stopped and watched it for a few seconds as it cruised past again and slid off back into the darkness. When it came back again, I seriously considered cancelling the search, but the pectoral fins were still held level, indicating it wasn’t in an aggressive mood, and it vanished again for good. It must have been just cruising through and was curious what was making the noise. With the adrenaline wearing off, and well past where Palm would have been, I decided the ring wasn’t out in the water.

Wading ashore, there was one area left unsearched: the beach section between where they had been sitting and the high water mark. I worked the first search line up past where Rosa and Palm were still sitting patiently in the dark, nothing was said – I could sense their hopes fading.
To ensure I maintained 100% coverage, I moved a large branch that Palm had placed the previous day to mark where they had been… and as the coil swung over the depression in the sand, I heard the sound that only a wayward platinum wedding ring could make. Palm had put the branch directly on top of it!

I turned the detector off and walked over to them. Still believing it was in the water, they looked up, resigned to it being lost—until I held the ring out to Palm!
It takes an extremely happy man to bear-hug a saturated detectorist.

Now, that walk back out with the weight belt… Why are beaches always at the bottom of hills?

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Silver Rings Lost in the Sand at the Montage Resort, Laguna Beach, CA.

  • from Newport Beach (California, United States)
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Metal Detector Man called to Search for 4 silver rings in the sand a crowded Laguna Beach Resort location .. Call or text Stan .. 949-500-2136 if you need help.
** Linda had returned home in Corona, CA. after a day at the Montage Resort, Laguna Beach, CA. That’s when  she realized her 4 silver rings were missing. Linda  knew that her rings were on her towel at the beach. Now, that she was 40 miles from the beach it would be difficult to return. Also, she was aware that finding small items in the sand is difficult.

She contacted me after finding my information online. Her description of where she had been was easy for me to find without her having to drive the 80 mile round trip.

I located her most important ring 15 minutes after arriving on the beach. It took another hour and a half to wait for all the people watching the sunset to leave the area. The other 3 rings did not show.  I sent a photo of the ring to Linda and she was understanding  ( somebody probably found the other rings) . The good thing was, the ring I found was the most important ring. She was very happy that I was able to help her.

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Found Ring Lost In Vermont

  • from Barre (Vermont, United States)
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1/15/26

I got a call this afternoon from a fellow who’s wife had lost her engagement ring and wedding band a few days ago. They were visiting Vermont and having fun in the Winter outdoors. They were sliding on the steep hill at their AirBnB when she crashed and rolled over. She immediately realized that her rings had fallen off. Luckily, they found her wedding band still in the sled! So, they knew the engagement ring must be nearby. They searched the best they could and finally gave up. Snow doesn’t give up small items easily!

Knowing that a metal detector was needed, they found The Ring Finders service on line and gave me a call. Fortunately, I had the afternoon off and was able to go right over. They had already left the state, so were unable to accompany me. He sent me an awesome video of her crash and all the laughing after! Between that video and all their tracks in the snow, I had a good idea about where to start the search. Literally 5 or 6 swings and I heard a strong gold signal! About 6 or 7” into the snow was her beautiful ring! I immediately sent them a photo, they were so relieved.

I drove part way to New Jersey to save them a couple hundred miles of driving and the expense of an overnight stay. She has her ring back on her finger now! None of us dared to mail it, it is too important.

 

 

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Heirloom ring recovered from the snow! – Watertown, Wisconsin.

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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When Watertown, Wisconsin resident, Mariah Kruschke was twelve years of age, her grandmother passed away from cancer. Before she died, she gave Mariah an 18k ring to remember her by, a ring she wore every day since. Then, the unthinkable happened! The ring slipped off Mariah’s hand into the snow in a field in front of their country home. She felt the ring leave her hand but despite two and half hours searching and raking through the snow, it could not be found.

Mariah’s brother, Justice, even obtained a metal detector, but the presence of underground wiring and other metallic debris resulted in a cacophony of signals, making the endeavor futile. That’s when they located my listing on theringfinders.com directory of metal detecting specialists. I have over 40 years forensic metal detecting experience.

I received a text from Justice and arranged to meet on location that same evening. The half hour drive was extended another half hour due to a mapping error on the cellphone I used. But at last, we connected at the Kruschke’s home. It was dark by this time. It was also a bitterly cold night, one made colder by an angry wind. I donned a headlamp and followed Mariah and Justice to the area where the ring had gone missing. Evidence of their search efforts was clear from the large area of grass where the snow had been raked away and melted down in hopes of revealing the ring.

A quick search of the cleared area confirmed it was not there. Expanding the search grid resulted in hearing the signal I was listening for in my headset, the unmistakable sound and conductivity numbers consistent with a recently lost gold ring. Upon investigation and using a special metal-detecting probe, the ring’s hiding place was at last disclosed deep in the snow where it had fallen. I retrieved the precious ring and walked back to where Mariah stood shivering in the dark frigid night. “Maybe this will help to warm you up, Mariah,” I said as I slipped the ring into her hand.

Tears, relief, a hug and smiles followed.

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, recent or long ago, on land, in water or in the snow, don’t let the ring’s story end. Call a member of The Ring Finders near you. It’s what we do! We’d love to put a smile on someone else’s face. After all, it’s more than a ring!

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Lost 2 White Gold Rings Bridal Set w/ Diamonds in the Snow Found in Taylor Michigan

  • from Detroit (Michigan, United States)
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The Tip of the Iceberg……

Presented itself when a more than predicted snowfall drop Wednesday afternoon in southeast Michigan took everyone by surprise, especially newly married Jacob and his wife. While dodging sleet as they walked into the shopping mall Jacob tripped and fell onto the snow. As his wife helped him back on his feet, she dusted him off but after they got into the store, she noticed her ring was missing. They put on ice what they came for and rushed back outside to the snow-covered area of the fall. The sound of snowplow blades on the pavement had them frozen in fear but Jacob had ice in his veins and tried to find the ring by moving some snow around, but that cut no ice. Jake called his dad to take his wife home, and I asked Jacob on the phone if he could remain there and try to keep the plows at bay until I arrived. That seemed to work, as the area was unscraped when I started to search with my MXT metal detector. Scanning over the small piles of snow a familiar signal came thru and moving the veil of snow above the signal revealed what was really hiding beneath the tip of the iceberg…..the missing ring! Overwhelmed with excitement from getting beyond the surface of the lost ring, Jacob feels this is the beginning of a great year and many more for him and his wife, and that’s the icing on the cake!

Jonathan

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A Snowy Wedding Band Recovery in Farmington, Minnesota

  • from Chisago City (Minnesota, United States)
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Another Ring Back on the Finger: A few days ago, I received a referral about a young man who had lost his brand-new wedding ring—just three months old—right after his big day. He was heartbroken. While brushing heavy snow off cars with his bare hands to clear the driveway for shoveling after a fresh snowfall, the ring slipped off without him noticing at first. He reached out, and I told him I’d drive out the next day—even though it was about 60 miles across town. The forecast was looking good: mid-30s and clear, ideal conditions for a search. I arrived in Farmington, Minnesota, around 2:00 p.m. the following afternoon as Paul Nolan of The Ring Finders. We met up, and he showed me the search area: the driveway, two sidewalks, and the street right in front of his house. The snow was piled 18–24 inches deep along the edges—tough going for any detector. Adding to the challenge, the concrete driveway had plenty of rebar, which throws off signals and makes pinpointing tricky. I started with a quick preliminary sweep of the entire area without moving any vehicles—about 20 minutes—and came up empty. No worries; I always follow up with a slower, more methodical second pass to catch anything subtle. A couple of spots were tough to reach with the cars parked there, but I hoped to avoid shifting them. As I began the second pass, I got a solid tone in a nearby flower bed, under about 6 inches of snow. The target was only a couple of inches down—very promising. I carefully scraped away the snow… and caught a glint of gold. There it was! I knocked on the door and told him I hadn’t found anything yet. The disappointment was clear on his face—he was bummed but understanding about how tough these searches can be. Then I opened my hand and showed him his ring. The look on his face said it all: instant joy, overwhelming relief, and pure happiness. That huge smile, the exhale of tension, the “I can’t believe it”—those moments are exactly why I do this work with The Ring Finders. Nothing beats returning a symbol of love and commitment that someone thought was lost forever. Grateful to have made this happy ending possible in Farmington! If you’ve lost a ring or know someone who has, don’t give up—reach out to The Ring Finders. These recoveries happen more often than you think.
   
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First Ring Recovery For 2026 in Chesapeake Va

  • from Virginia Beach (Virginia, United States)
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Lost ring found .. for the second time! The owner of a ring I found a couple years afo lost the same ring again! He still had my number and gave me a call and I went right out and found it. Last time it was lost in a backyard but he did not know where so it took several hours to find it. This time he lost it when he tripped and fel and only took 5 minutes. Hope he does not loose my number

 

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