Finding a missing wedding ring in a field

August 11, 2009 6:47 PM

I lost my wedding ring playing soccer today. Help me maximize my chance of getting it back with a metal detector, or provide another better idea.

I am a person of extreme stupidity, and volunteered to play goal keeper without taking off my wedding ring. I noticed it was missing right after I made a save on a hard shot; I'm pretty sure that knocked it off since I'm sort of OCD about messing with the ring.

Both teams searched the area at halftime and after the game with no luck-which makes me think that I need to broaden the search area. I notified the field manager, and left my name and number with her; she said they would hold off mowing that field tomorrow (I am on Eastern Time USA)

I am going to buy a metal detector in the morning and head out there, but I know nothing about them. How do I use it? Does it matter how expensive it is or will a cheapo one work just as well? Do you have another idea for helping me get it back?

posted by Kwine to Grab Bag (19 answers total)

I don't know if any of this will work but
1. get a rake. If I drop something at work, I'll sweep the floor to try to find it.
2. go at sunrise and look for glints.
3. good luck
posted by sciencegeek at 6:54 PM on August 11, 2009

I dropped a ring in an open field and couldn't metal-detect until the next day, so my mental map of where the ring should have been was shifted. A soccer field should be easy -- and the area around a goal should be especially easy and finite. It took me a couple hours to find the ring, but there it was glinting happily.

Give yourself at least a mental grid, but ideally a grid drawn with string. Start where you expect, and work your way out. It's plodding work, but you'll get there. Given the fairly permanent fixture of a soccer goal, it shouldn't take you long.

A cheapo metal detector should be fine: it's just a coil of wire. I got mine for under $100.
posted by xueexueg at 7:21 PM on August 11, 2009

It's just occured to me the band might be plain. And now that I think about it - that you might be a dude...

But - if it has diamonds?
Real diamonds glow under blacklights.
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 7:26 PM on August 11, 2009

Go back there near or after dark, and bring a flashlight. Turn on the flashlight and hold it almost parallel to the ground, but not quite. Shine it around, and look for light reflecting back at you. This may go faster if you bring a helper along with you, but with the light at such a low angle, you can cover a lot of ground fairly quickly.

Whatever method you choose, good luck!
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 7:33 PM on August 11, 2009 [1 favorite]

Post "Lost Ring--Reward if Found" posters around the park if you don't find it right away.
posted by jschu at 7:35 PM on August 11, 2009

Visual searches for small items in grass will work nowhere near as well as a metal detector. Any cheapo detector should find a ring if it's in the grass or buried only as deep as a soccer boot would push it. Just be methodical about it (cover the area thoroughly, as if you were vacuum cleaning it) and it will turn up.

Before you start, drop a coin of about the same diameter as the ring and "find" it with the detector. That will help you know what to expect from the detector when it encounters your ring.
posted by flabdablet at 7:53 PM on August 11, 2009

Wrangle yourself a mid-sized group of small children. Drop small "prizes" in the area you suspect your ring might be hiding. Offer "Top Prize" for the ring.

I recommend you be suspicious of a VERY large area. Most likely the ring did not "fall off" while you were standing around, but was thrown off when you hurled a ball back into play.
posted by EnsignLunchmeat at 7:53 PM on August 11, 2009

Response by poster: To be clear, I am a dude. It's a plain, white gold band. Should have said this in the post, sorry to keep you guessing.
posted by Kwine at 8:03 PM on August 11, 2009

And another point... I'm not sure about your area or that of Blue Jello Elf, but down here at this time of year if you shine a flashlight near ground level just after dark on a field of grass you will see thousands of golden glints. Spider eyes. Fascinating in itself, but not helpful here.
posted by EnsignLunchmeat at 8:05 PM on August 11, 2009

One trick for ensuring you cover all the ground is to unravel some balls of twine behind you as you work, so you can see where you've been. Of course, when you're done, you have to pick up all the twine, which is a pain in the ass, but it helps ensure you aren't missing spots.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:06 PM on August 11, 2009

Best answer: To be clear, I am a dude. It's a plain, white gold band. Should have said this in the post, sorry to keep you guessing.

In the unhappy and unlikely event that you can't find the original, Amazon has white gold bands for pretty cheap (don't know why it's labeled "women's"--I've seen 4mm bands sold as men's rings before). Perhaps you and the wife could get a new ring engraved to make it special, with a personal message like "remove before playing soccer!"
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:38 PM on August 11, 2009

Best answer: You can often rent metal detectors from places that rent construction equipment. Sunbelt Rentals, as one example with branches near you, charges $14 for a half day and $20 for a full day. The phone book is your friend.
posted by carmicha at 8:44 PM on August 11, 2009

Just remember, it could have been worse. (Scroll down to Nery Pumpido). More on topic, I have a friend who did exactly what you are proposing - he lost his ring playing sports and successfully went back and recovered it with a metal detector, so it's worked before.
posted by true at 9:05 PM on August 11, 2009

My mother lost her wedding band while the family was out on a geocache walk.

The next day, I rented a good metal detector from a mining/prospecting shop. I searched the general area and found the ring in about 15 minutes.

It can be found. Good luck.
posted by Argyle at 9:06 PM on August 11, 2009

I'm nthing the suggestion for canvassing the area with as many eyes as possible. Just be as methodical about it as possible. The metal dectector definitely can't hurt, but you want to start far and work your way in.
posted by ktrey at 11:48 PM on August 11, 2009

I'm wondering if you had gloves on and could have flung it when you took off the gloves? If so, think about where you were when you did that too. I'm just wishing I had half as good a chance of finding the diamond earring I lost in the lake last weekend because I too was stupid and didn't take them off before skiing.
posted by tamitang at 12:30 AM on August 12, 2009

You want to do this at night, with a really powerful flashlight. Unless someone stepped on it, the band and cuts in the diamond will refract the light and alert you to where the diamond is.

Go buy one of those ridiculous 700+ lumen led flashlights and return it the next day.
posted by zentrification at 12:37 AM on August 12, 2009

I would consider renting a high quality detector instead of buying a cheap one.
posted by damn dirty ape at 7:40 AM on August 12, 2009

Response by poster: Update: I rented a metal detector from Sunbelt (which happened to have a location very close to the field) and spent four hours combing the field and the area behind the goal yesterday morning with no success (well, I got a nice sunburn on my neck). I brought string to mark out the field, but it had been mowed recently enough that I was able to use the mower patterns to mark my progress. Something strange must have happened to it: kicked far away, stuck on a cleat for a little while, knocked into a path where someone picked it up, etc. My wife is not thrilled but she is understanding.

I'm going to stop back at the field after work today and post some reward signs as someone suggested, but in the end I like PhoBWanKenobi's engraving suggestion going forward. Thank you all for your help.
posted by Kwine at 7:23 AM on August 13, 2009