Geelong metal detectorists boast near-perfect success rate recovering lost jewellery

MANY people would give up any hope of ever finding a ring they’ve lost in the sand while walking along the beach or going for a swim.

But not this Geelong-based group of ‘metal detectorists’, which boasts a near-perfect success rate of recovering lost jewellery.
The Metal Detector Geelong Jewellery Recovery is a group passionate about searching for missing jewellery on the Surf Coast, the Bellarine, Greater Geelong and beyond.

When locals report a piece of missing jewellery and reach out to Metal Detector Geelong Jewellery Recovery, the group helps recover and return the lost piece, often without any charge.

To the group admins Justin, Adam and Hayley, who are all based in Geelong, finding jewellery is a hobby and passion rather than a chore.

Justin said he has found and returned over 300 pieces of lost jewellery over the fuor years he has been metal detecting.

Adam and Hayley have stopped counting. Justin said most often rings are lost at the beach where sunscreen, sand and water make for slippery, easily lost jewellery. But, to many people’s surprise, Justin said when the group knows a general location where a piece of jewellery has been lost it can almost always be found.

“Our recovery rate is 95 per cent successful, you’re better off to get in touch with us than just post it on a community Facebook page, otherwise sometimes amateurs go out and find the jewellery and don’t return it to the owners.”

Justin said the group is able to search far and wide for jewellery and could even get diving equipment and search the ocean floor when needed.

“We search in gardens, at the beach, wherever they are lost. We don’t really have a boundary.”

Justin said the group, while sometimes charging to cover the expenses involved in finding the jewellery, is ultimately just a hobby and a great way to help a neighbour out, literally and figuratively.

“Once my neighbour posted on the group not realising I ran it, and I saw it and popped down the road and found his wedding ring in 15 minutes.”

The group also posts photos of locally lost rings and jewellery and once an owner has proved the piece is theirs by describing where it was found or noting identifiable marks such as an engraving, the group returns the piece to the owner.

Justin said the group always recommend getting rings and jewellery engraved as it makes identifying lost jewellery much simpler.

To find out more or receive help looking for lost jewellery head to the Metal Detector Geelong Jewellery Recovery Facebook page.