My First 18K Gold Ring!

Brett · Sep 25, 2008

Went on a little hunt with my dad tonight at a local park. This park was new to me and right away I was digging deep 90's coins... FILL! There was also a lot of trash and iron. We basically were ready to just get out of there after only an hour of digging. Eventually we made our way back to the car after having seen one park patrol officer and two more squads roll, park, and leave. My dad had his detector put away already and was calling over to me to go. I said, "I got a signal here!" And I genuinely thought I had found a penny amongst the iron around one of the oldest trees in the park. It seemed like it was deep on the scale, maybe 6 inches. The crosshairs on the smartfind screen were hitting close to upper right, but not quite where a penny usually hits. Also, not really low enough to be considered even pull tab. So I pop up a nice clump and it wasn't in the hole at all, not even the plug... but it was right on the edge of the plug close to the surface. Luckily I didn't gouge it! I believe the stone to be a sapphire, and it looks pretty good under a loupe.

It's small, but weighs about 2.5 to 3 grams (my scale doesn't do so well on small stuff).

I love getting real treasure when you least expect it! This is my 3rd gold ring for the year. The others were 10K.

After I got this out of the ground, it was reading in the gold ring/pull tab area. 11-07 / 09-08

Needless to say, we stayed well until after it was dark. There was a ballgame going on so the lights were helping to keep us there as well. My dad probably won't post them, but he found a cool identical pair of diecast jets! And I think I dug at least 20 more old pull tabs hoping for another ring! At least they were old.

HH!

DPBOB · Sep 26, 2008

Bob, thanks man... that's some big thumbs up!

[/quote]

Big congrats for a Big,Nice,Fantastic Find....
As far as the hunt, maybe heading to IOWA that weekend to see my son.

Pepper2004 · Sep 26, 2008

Congrats! That's a beauty!

Detectingfreak · Sep 26, 2008

very nice job on the 18k gold ring!

cntrydncr1 · Sep 26, 2008

that is gorgeous! congratulations

kimsdad · Sep 26, 2008

Great ring! Congrats!!! :thumbsup:

I still haven't found a solid one...

wolfdog · Sep 26, 2008

nothing more to say but THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR RING it gives us others who have not found one YET Hope,Thanks

dakotama95 · Sep 26, 2008

Congratulations on the ring. Great find. It makes digging up all of those all tabs worth it. I am still digging up pull tabs and no more gold yet. Someday!

weasel606 · Sep 27, 2008

WOW

beautiful ring ! congrats :thumbsup:

Brett · Sep 27, 2008

TreasurdiggrNY said:
Congrats on your first 18K, it's a beauty for sure WTG
Glenn

Thanks so much Glenn from the East!

Cr4zyH0rs3 said:
on the ring.

Thanks CrazyHorse! OMG your avatar makes me want to get some battery acid STAT!

bomber said:
congrats

Thanks Bomber! This has encouraged me to keep my chin up no matter what. Some days are really slow in the parks.

Bavaria Mike said:
Congrats on the 18K! HH, Mike

I'll keep diggin' if you will Mike! Thanks for lookin'

Ramapirate said:
I think it's about time to send my detector out playing "Hot Times in the Old Town Tonight" and
call the dogs, I ain't ever gonna find anything worth a hoot.
You guys make me tired with your 18k rings and your capped bust this and your seated,
standing, flowing this that and the other thing.

Ahh, but alas!!!! You are what drives us, what makes us continue on this trek, this journey... With the hope that we too, someday will turn the one scoop, the one shovel, cut the one plug that brings us the elusive glint, the glint that makes our hearts race, our eyes widen in amazement!!

Right now a wheaty would be nice....

A very nice ring indeed!!

Mahalo,
Ramapirate

Great post Ramapirate! I have these days myself when all I want to find is one wheatie. Even if you only find clad though, take all of that clad and buy silver bullion with it! Then every penny, nickel, dime and quarter you dig up is a little piece of something great! I can't wait to have a treasure chest FULL of silver and gold

Happy hunting bud.

litefire56 said:
The next best thing to digging up gold is to be there when someone else does. And when its your kid it makes it even better. I'm glad I was there to see that beauty coming out of the dirt. WTG son!

Thanks pops! Yeah when I uncovered it I flashed it for no more than a second and both my dad and I immediately knew what it was. I kind of covered it up quick because a regular park bum was creeping up from my 6 o'clock around to the left. I think at this point one of the park police officers was parked within 100 feet from us though... just instinct now I guess not to flash the treasure out to everyone in sight. Even with my recent find, my dad is still beating me with 3 gold rings and a 18K heavy gold chain! The chain of his was featured on the White's homepage too ;-)

DesPlaines_IL_SilverBob said:
Big congrats for a Big,Nice,Fantastic Find....
As far as the hunt, maybe heading to IOWA that weekend to see my son.

Sweet, thanks again!! You are too kind. Well I hope we'll see you again sometime, it was good hunting with you earlier this year. You sure can pump up a treasure hunter when he's found something great. Have a good one!

Pepper2004 said:
Congrats! That's a beauty!

Thanks Pepper! The sapphire is growing on me. I just wish it fit my pinky

Detectingfreak said:
very nice job on the 18k gold ring!

It makes me want to get out there and find more!!! Thanks for lookin' Detectingfreak! HH!

cntrydncr1 said:
that is gorgeous! congratulations

!Tap dancing! Bowing... thanks CountryDancer!

kimsdad said:
Great ring! Congrats!!!

I still haven't found a solid one...

Thanks Kimsdad!! I'll tell you a little secret. I generally do not dig low tones... I really just avoid them. When I start digging them, that's when I've always found gold. If you ever get a low tone that is dead nuts, dig it... it most likely will be a pull tab or can slaw, but you're destined to get gold soon! Happy Hunting!!!

wolfdog said:
nothing more to say but THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR RING it gives us others who have not found one YET Hope,Thanks

Glad to post it! I hope it does help spark some fire in others. It definitely has my ass on fire

Thanks Wolfdog! Howooooooooh!!!

dakotama95 said:
Congratulations on the ring. Great find. It makes digging up all of those all tabs worth it. I am still digging up pull tabs and no more gold yet. Someday!

Thanks a heap Dakotama95!!! When I got my first gold ring down in florida bay waters, I thought the ratio of pull tabs to nickels was about 100 to 1, and to gold was 1000 to 1. Since then I've done a lot better... I've been getting VERY lucky I think. Have a great hunt next time out!!

weasel606 said:
WOW beautiful ring ! congrats

Weasel606, thanks so much man. Keep diggin' like mad out there!!

Monty · Sep 27, 2008

I wonder how many times one finds a real good find on our "last" dig? Seems like a real high percentage and it has happened to me several times. Oddly enough maybe that's what keeps us coming back for more? Great ring and good post. Monty

Brett · Sep 27, 2008

Monty said:
I wonder how many times one finds a real good find on our "last" dig? Seems like a real high percentage and it has happened to me several times. Oddly enough maybe that's what keeps us coming back for more? Great ring and good post. Monty

I know it hasn't happened that often for me, being the LAST dig... but usually when that happens there is one of two outcomes, 1) You are DONE digging for the day because the find was so great there is no way you are going to top it... you just wanna go home and wash er up! 2) You KEEP digging until the sun goes down because you are filled with pirate greed and you want MORE BOOTY!!!!

My last gold ring happened to be the VERY FIRST signal I put my coil over. I literally walked out into the field, turned on my detector, and BEEEP there she was.

Thanks for stoppin' by Monty! It's back to working on my car for me ;-) HH!!!

Goldiver · Sep 28, 2008

Beautiful ring! Congratulations!! :thumbsup:

Steve

Brett · Sep 28, 2008

Goldiver said:
Beautiful ring! Congratulations!!

Steve

Thanks Steve! I'm looking at your avatar thinking that would be really cool!!

TxCacheHunter · Sep 28, 2008

Great find!!! Thanks for posting the pics!!

dave-enc · Sep 28, 2008

beautiful ring wtg
hh
dave+bobbie

Bob S · Oct 4, 2008

Nice Ring

Packrat · Oct 4, 2008

cool nice ring!!! :thumbsup:

DrJoePrime · Oct 5, 2008

That's a beauty! Congrats :thumbsup:

I thought about and came to the conclusion that I dig about 400 pulltabs (or foil trash) for each ring I find. Right now I'm saving up all my pulltabs to make myself a 400 pulltab display. It's a good visual aid to those starting out in this hobby and expect to find a ring with every other swing....nope it's not quite that easy.

That being said..I gotta tell you my short story of finding 2 Gold rings in 2 swings.

In the summer I detect daily at the beach after dinner while my wife takes a long walk. This particular evening I was about done and thinking to myself if I ought to turn it off about 50 feet to the parking lot. Well I found a clad quarter and figured heck no..then just as I cam to the small wall before the parking lot..a foil signal. I kick the sand with my foot and see a gold glitter. YIKES...it's a Gold Ring. Now I turn my machine off. Next evening due to parking restrictions I'm a b it farther up the beach. I walk down to the blanket line and turn my machine on. A pulltab signal...I dig them ALL....except this is a GOLD RING, with diamonds. SO TWO Gold Rings in two swings (separated by almost 24 hours). This was July 5 and July 6 of this year.

I hope you don't mind my posting of those rings photo. Sometimes it's just a matter of Patience and Persistence.

HH Joe

Brett · Oct 5, 2008

TxCacheHunter said:
Great find!!! Thanks for posting the pics!!

Thanks TxCacheHunter! You are more than welcome. HH and have a great day!

dave-enc said:
beautiful ring wtg
hh

Thanks Dave&Bobbie!

Bob S said:
Nice Ring

Thanks for lookin' Bob! Have a sweet hunt your next time out!

Packrat said:
cool nice ring!!!

Thanks Packrat!! Keep swinging buddy.

DrJoePrime said:
That's a beauty! Congrats

I thought about and came to the conclusion that I dig about 400 pulltabs (or foil trash) for each ring I find. Right now I'm saving up all my pulltabs to make myself a 400 pulltab display. It's a good visual aid to those starting out in this hobby and expect to find a ring with every other swing....nope it's not quite that easy.

That being said..I gotta tell you my short story of finding 2 Gold rings in 2 swings.

In the summer I detect daily at the beach after dinner while my wife takes a long walk. This particular evening I was about done and thinking to myself if I ought to turn it off about 50 feet to the parking lot. Well I found a clad quarter and figured heck no..then just as I cam to the small wall before the parking lot..a foil signal. I kick the sand with my foot and see a gold glitter. YIKES...it's a Gold Ring. Now I turn my machine off. Next evening due to parking restrictions I'm a b it farther up the beach. I walk down to the blanket line and turn my machine on. A pulltab signal...I dig them ALL....except this is a GOLD RING, with diamonds. SO TWO Gold Rings in two swings (separated by almost 24 hours). This was July 5 and July 6 of this year.

I hope you don't mind my posting of those rings photo. Sometimes it's just a matter of Patience and Persistence.

Thanks so much Joe! I don't mind at all, in fact it's a great story! Thanks for taking the time to add your experience. I do agree, patience and persistence is key. You have to be patient or you will loose your persistence and potentially stop digging signals that would be treasure. Not digging those signals one day out of 60 might be the day you actually find that gold ring too!

I wise person once told me, "If you want to leave your footprints in the sands of time, don't drag your feet!" Unless of course you are metal detecting on the beach, then you may leave a snail trail! HH!!