The idea for LostMyRing.Com didn’t just fall out of the sky. One summer I took my daughter to a local lake for some swimming. After about 3 hours at the lake and a walk over for some pizza I realized that my ring was gone.
I searched everywhere. The restaurant employees searched the seating area, bus trays and dishwashing machine. I searched the path, the beach and the lake. I offered a group of kids $50 and they continued to search the water while I looked in the garbage can, along the path to my car and everywhere in between.
I borrowed a mask and snorkel from the lifeguards and searched the bottom of the lake in the swimming area. Nothing. When I got home I posted a lost ad on Craig’s List in the hope that the ring had been found on the trail. I was really heartbroken. I know that a ring is just a symbol, but at the time we were struggling with me being in college and things were pretty tight. We weren't going to be able to replace it
with as nice a ring and we are both very sentimental people.
The next day (Friday) I rented a metal detector from a local shop and after some quick instruction went back to the lake. I searched the beach area again and then started searching the lake. The metal-detector wasn’t an underwater type, so I was only able to get the coil (the round bottom part) and the neck wet. I searched for several hours but found nothing.
I went back on Saturday, retraced my steps and checked with the lifeguards again. No ring had been turned in. As soon as the evening crowds were gone I searched again with the detector. I had been swimming in a large, but shallow, area. After several more hours of searching I still had nothing to show for my efforts but 27 cents in pennies.
Sunday I went back again for several more hours, but nothing.
The metal detector was due back on Monday, so before work I decided on one last try. I got to the lake at about 6:00am, but I had to stop at 7:00 to go to work and then return the metal detector.
I set the alarm clock on my cell phone and waded into the lake one last time.
An hour later my alarm went off and as it was beeping I made one last wild arc with the detector and got a VERY strong beep. It was time to go, but I stuck my bucket in the sand the one last time, fully expecting another coin or bottle cap when, yes, up came my wedding ring. With no time left on the clock and after 4 days of searching, I had my ring back!
Needless to say I was really happy and my wife was overjoyed. My ring has enormous sentimental value, not to mention that it is made of gold.
Afterward, when discussing the lucky find with my wife, we both agreed that our worst fear was that the ring would be found weeks, months or years later. We would never see it again and it would be sold to a pawn shop for its scrap value in gold.
(For tips on using a metal detector click here)
(For general tips on finding a ring click here)
In fact, being sentimentalists, it was going to be very hard for us to even drive by the lake, knowing that the ring was likely in or around it.
Later that night, while going to sleep, my wife mentioned the idea of putting some identification on the ring itself, in case it was lost again. But emails aren’t always permanent and phone numbers change as well. She then suggested a website and registration number.
And thus, the idea for LostMyRing.Com was born.
Now, with a simple registration and serial number, you can protect your Engagement, Wedding, Anniversary, Valuable or Sentimental Ring.
