Silver or Gold? The Tale of a Lost Ring
Tayler’s friend contacted me Friday evening as I was sitting down to dinner with my family. Could I help find a lost silver ring in the sand at Riviera Beach in Lake Geneva, WI?
By the time dinner was over, it was nearing the time to get my kids ready for bed, but I knew the next question. “Can we go with you, Dad?”
Playing on the beach after dark is great fun, so how could I say no? We all piled into the car and met Taylor around 8 pm on September 4, 2026.
After walking to the general location, we established two horizontal lines in the sand marking the top and bottom edges of the search zone. After debating how far to the left and right of the center point I should search, I asked if they had taken any photos that day. Sure enough, someone had snapped a picturesque photo of Geneva Lake with two anchored boats in the background. Using this information, we established the sidelines, and I decided the best place to begin.
Before the search started, I confirmed the makeup of the ring. Was it actual silver, or did it just look silver, because silver and white gold sound very different through a metal detector. And, of course, silver and gold are very different in value. She confirmed that it was silver… was mostly sure that it was silver.
After about two passes, I heard a low-grunting signal… not the sound of a silver ring. Upon closer inspection, my headlamp caught a glimmer of shiny metal, and I scooped a silver-colored ring from the sand. Tayler gasped and approached the place where I was kneeling. I handed her the ring, topped with a beautiful diamond, and I asked her if it was her ring… and I added, “That’s NOT a silver ring. I’m pretty sure it’s gold!”
It was her ring, and she eagerly slipped it onto her finger. I sensed her great relief, and I soon learned that the ring was a gift from her father.
My kids, who were exploring the beach and wading in the water, gathered with us to celebrate the finding of the ring.
At age 47, it’s getting a little harder to read the small stamps inside ring bands indicating gold purity, so I called over my 8-year-old son. My children often help me inspect my finds, reading ring stamps and years on coins. Holding it up to the light, he matter-of-factly called out, “It’s 14-karat gold.”
He confirmed what my metal detector told me, that in addition to the sentimental value, it was indeed a valuable piece of jewelry.
If you or someone you know has lost a phone, ring, or other piece of jewelry, please call. The smiles I enjoy when returning lost items are one of the best parts of what I do.
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