Tips on finding gold rings

[jackintexas]

I finally found something I have been looking for. Back in the 1980's Fisher put out a chart showing in what category gold rings are to be found. It was showing on their CZ detectors but I think it is still true today. The chart is as follows:.....iron-none....foil- 38%.....nickels-9%.....round tabs-16%......square tabs-30%......zinc pennies-5%....other coins=2%. So it looks like if you only dug foil & nickel targets, according to the chart you would get about 47% of the rings. Most of those would be ladies rings which are small and some with diamonds. Who wears most of the rings....women. Of course today there are some square tabs in the nickel range. But think of the pull tabs you would not be digging. You would only use that technique if there were loads and loads of pull tabs. In places like volleyball courts-tot lots ( children's playgrounds) swimming areas and the like of course I would dig everything.Just a thought.....Jack

 

[TabWhisperer]

Interesting. I think it somewhat reflects when I dig targets and pass on others. Any way to get you to scan that chart?

 

[jackintexas]

I don't have a scanner....Jack

 

[Monte]

I finally found something I have been looking for. Back in the 1980's Fisher put out a chart showing in what category gold rings are to be found. It was showing on their CZ detectors but I think it is still true today.

If, for example, the Fisher Chart dates to 1986, then it is now a quarter-of-a-century old. A lot has changed in 25 years, both with jewelry, and common trash, and a variety of different detector designs then use VDI read-outs as well as company-designed zones or segments of common coin-hunting targets as shown below.

The chart is as follows:.....iron-none....foil- 38%.....nickels-9%.....round tabs-16%......square tabs-30%......zinc pennies-5%....other coins=2%.

Such a chart suggestion might apply mainly to the CZ model they used for sampling. It would also depend upon the assortment of gold rings which were used. The only thing close to accurate with this breakdown, in my opinion, is that all gold rings might span this typical coin hunting Target ID range. I have owned several CZ models, to include the CZ-6 (modified to 6a), a few CZ-5's, a CZ-70 Pro and CZ-3D (the worst CZ I ever had).

At times when I owned and used them I also had several other TID models, and some with a VDI read-out as well. Those included the White's Classic ID and IDX Pro, M6, MXT, 6000 Pro XL and XLT. I've also used a a few models from Garrett, such as a GTAx-1250 and GTP-1350, and some from Minelab. based on my jewelry hunting results with all of the detectors I have owned when I had the CZ's and right up to several I have on hand today, I'll add my typical category break-down:

Iron - Yes, I have found several smaller children's or women's thinner gold rings that read in the upper 'Iron' range. Rather than guess at a percentage, I'll simply say a very few, but they showed as 'Iron' or had a lower VDI that was 'at the fringe' but at the upper-Iron VDI range.

Foil [size=small](Can include some disconnected 'beaver tails' from old Ring-Pull tabs.)[/size] - Yes, and these are usually smaller children's gold rings, or smaller and/or thinner women's gold rings that lack much flare or mass portion.

Nickels [size=small](Can include separated beaver-tails, separated rings, some complete folded Ring-Pull tabs, and a larger percentage of modern rectangular Pry Tabs. Many makes used a broader Nickel range in the past, but most current models with digital-design circuitry have a narrower Nickel acceptance range.)[/size] - Yes, and this includes a good number of women's gold rings as well as some men's gold rings, especially more simple and thinner plain gold bands.

Pull Tabs [size=small](Depending upon the make and model detector, can range all over the place. However, keep in mind that the dedicated "Pull Tab' TID range was first developed when all we had were the wide-range of Ring-Pull type tabs with attached 'beaver tails.' They were found in high concentrations during their popular years, before being phased out in favor of the rectangular Pry-Tabs we have today. Many sites I have hunted for the past 40+ years that used to have a lot of Ring-Pull tabs no longer do, or very seldom, as they were recovered by early detectorists. Thus, this TID 'zone' has a lot less usefulness today than it used to.)[/size] - Yes, I have found a lot of gold rings in this zone that were either larger-size women's rings or men's rings, bigger class rings, etc.

Screw Caps/Zinc Cents - Yes, but not many. While some other desireable finds also fall in this range you need to just figure the most logical effort needed to get gold rings at a site. I only find a few that fall in this range.

Copper Cent/Dime - Yes, it's possible, but happens very seldom. I found two in this higher TID range. Both were fairly wide and ornate bands, and both 24 K and made in Hong Kong.

So it looks like if you only dug foil & nickel targets, according to the chart you would get about 47% of the rings. Most of those would be ladies rings which are small and some with diamonds. Who wears most of the rings....women. Of course today there are some square tabs in the nickel range. But think of the pull tabs you would not be digging. You would only use that technique if there were loads and loads of pull tabs. In places like volleyball courts-tot lots ( children's playgrounds) swimming areas and the like of course I would dig everything.

If you want to find gold rings and dig less trash the best suggestion we can all apply is to concentrate on the more probable sites where gold jewelry might be lost. Personally, when in a typically good gold jewelry location I will recover all good hits in the Foil, Nickel and Pull Tab ranges.

I usually find the most, slightly, in the Foil Range when hunting around playgrounds and swimming pools or sunbathing sites, but I get larger gold rings (men's) when I concentrate on the larger open sports fields. Due to the very broad range that gold jewelry falls in you have to dig a lot, including junk, if you want to be serious about getting the good stuff that was lost.

Monte

 

[Critterhunter]

I have done extensive testing of a true random sample pool of well over 100 rings. This test pool is not biased in any way since they were found by a friend water hunting with an excaliber digging every single signal over 5 years, regardless of how bad they sounded or where they fell on the scale. Despite long held myths in this hobby, most gold rings are not found in the nickle or tab range...

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1096415,page=1

 

[jackintexas]

Thanks Monte: So far I have found over a hundred gold rings. Been detecting about 35 years. I sold rings twice when gold was not nearly as high as it is now. I found most of the rings and some other gold jewelry in the last 7 or 8 years. That is when I started to hunt jewelry and almost nothing else. You are right location, location and location is everything when looking for lost jewelry. I still have 27 gold rings I have not sold. I did a little test last night. Using my Omega, I wanted to see just where the rings I still have would fall. I found 17 in the foil range. 5 in the nickel range. and only five in the tab range. But the ones in the tab range were by far the better rings. One in particular I had appraised for $2000.00. A large 14K with 5 very nice diamonds. You are correct, if you want to find most of the rings, you must dig it all. But many times in a real infested pull tab area, I only dug the foil and nickel range. Some times I was success full and many times I was not. The subject of finding gold rings come up now and then. Some folks think that where ever they are they should dig every signal in order to find gold rings. I was just giving a little tip I have used occasionally in the past with some success.....Jack

 

[BrownBear]

Well,

The two gold rings I found came up in the pull tab range. So i dig all pull tabs I was told that the ratio of pull tabs to rings is 89/1 (LOL). So every tab I grab gets me one step
closer to that GOLD

BrownBear.

 

[chuck ky]

i hunted in a competion jewelry hunt once with the cz-5 nad most of the rings were in the foil range. when i came home i tried hunting a park just digging the foil readings . you can't believe how much foil is in them parks, didn't get any gold

 

[jackintexas]

Of the twenty seven gold ring that I have now....17 were in foil....five were in nickel....five were in pull tab range. But as I said before the ones in the pull tab range were by far the most valuable. .....Jack

 

[jackintexas]

That is true. Most gold rings are found in the foil range......Jack

 

[Neil]

Jack Ive found about as many rings as you, I mostly beach hunt so of course that increases the odds over say a park type hunter. I would say foil is where most rings fall, then right around nickel and into the pull tab range. as you know the size and composition all play into it.
Ive only found two that ID as zinc cents and none any higher. Once is a nice sized mans 22k wedding band and the other is a huge 14k class ring that fits over my thumb. I guess its makes sense to say that since women wear more rings than men thats the most common type we find. these are all gold rings now. my silver ring count has gone down quite abit as I usually only dig zinc and lower unless its one of those hunts Im not finding much.

 

[jackintexas]

Hey Neil: Thanks for the come back. As Monte pointed out, location is the first thing a jewelry hunter must determine. For many years I hunted the water. But now I have an insulin pump attached to me so I don't water hunt anymore. Sold my two water detectors.Water hunting is number one for finding jewelry. I now hunt places where I think jewelry is most likely lost. Swimming areas is number two I think, Where people have their blankets. I don;t live close to the coast so I concentrate a lot in those areas. Especially where the swimming locations are marked off for swimming.I also like volleyball courts-tot lots and the like. What are some of your favorite sites to jewelry hunt? .....Jack

 

[godigit1]

Interesting. I think it somewhat reflects when I dig targets and pass on others. Any way to get you to scan that chart?

Check out the Dankowski detector site I think you will find that chart in the fisher intelligence report 5thed on the main page.
Allot of great info there.
HH

 

[Neil]

Hey Neil: Thanks for the come back. As Monte pointed out, location is the first thing a jewelry hunter must determine. For many years I hunted the water. But now I have an insulin pump attached to me so I don't water hunt anymore. Sold my two water detectors.Water hunting is number one for finding jewelry. I now hunt places where I think jewelry is most likely lost. Swimming areas is number two I think, Where people have their blankets. I don;t live close to the coast so I concentrate a lot in those areas. Especially where the swimming locations are marked off for swimming.I also like volleyball courts-tot lots and the like. What are some of your favorite sites to jewelry hunt? .....Jack

Mostly ocean beaches, Im real close to alot of them. dry sand or wet sand with some water hunting mixed in.

 

[Ken in Georgia]

Hey what about necklace's and bracelet's ?

 

[Low-Boy/LCPM]

The best way to find rings is dig it all in the range you are finding most of your gold rings..for me on the G2 about 50...for about two hours I will think about where my best area would be to find rings and then for about two hours dig it all. I get tired and then cherry pick for silver or higher VDI.

 

[jackintexas]

I still have 17 gold rings that read in the foil range. Just had an operation so may be a few days but I will use a couple of my detectors and see if there are any predominate numbers come up..I know on my XLT it seems 13 is a good number. Found several gold rings that were that number. When 13 came up I always hope for a gold ring. Most are not gold rings but several were.......Jack

 

[Ken in Georgia]

Keep the information coming. Thanks

 

[jackintexas]

One thing that has not been mentioned is that most if not all white gold rings and platinum rings fall in the foil range. I have found several white gold wedding bands that read like beaver tails....Platinum rings mostly fall near or in the iron range......Jack

 

[jackintexas]

I did some testing today with the gold rings I have that are in the foil range. I wanted to see if there was some dominate numbers to help pinpoint gold rings. Of the 17 gold rings in the foil range.11 were in the 50 to 60 range on the Omega and also on the Goldbug SE. Most pull tabs are in the 70 to 80 range. I set my discrimination at 50 on each machine. Discriminated out pull tab range and zinc pennies. I know there are some larger gold rings in the zinc penny range but there are so many zinc pennies out there , itwould cause too much loss of time I have a swimming area where people throw their blankets and such. I plan to dig only in that range. Some larger foil should be in that range. Got some of wife's foil wrap and made different size balls of foil. Some pull tabs will be in the 57-58-59-60 range. But I should not dig very small foil. Only larger foil.Remember this test was in air test only. In the ground it may be different. Only way to know is to experiment.....Jack