to ask for your ideas re finding lost ring?

[parmalilac]

Sorry, posting here for traffic - it's urgent!
Was walking in the garden earlier today and saw a plant that needing a bit of TLC. I took off my engagement ring and put down my bra (no pockets available) to keep it clean. Then I fell down , must have stepped in a hole (am on crutches so a bit wobbly at the best of times). I had to pull myself along to a tree so I could get hold of it to help me up. Came indoors, stripped off as clothes were all wet, and ring is gone ... went back but can't see it. The grass has been cut but is coarse and has some weeds. My bra was quite close fitting, wired, normally a ring would not be able to fall out but with me struggling to get up it seems that's what happened .... so I'm quite distraught now, and don't know how on earth I can find it. I can't get down on my knees, have retraced my steps twice to no avail. Any ideas please?

[Watto1]

Could you borrow a metal detector perhaps?

[RuggerHug]

Is there anyone around who could do a hands and knees search for you? Good luck, hope it turns up! Any chance it fell out when you got in the house and rolled somewhere or caught in the clothes?

[MyKingdomForBrie]

I think you'll need to ask for help from people who can get down on their knees, they will need to break the garden into squares and search methodically.

There's also a chance it could have been tangled up in the clothes you took off, or been flung across the room as you took them off, so search them and have your helpers search the room.

[redexpat]

You have to say ring ring ring outloud as you look. This focuses the mind. I learned this from qi and the method hasnt failed yet.

Are you sure it didnt fall out on the way in? Or where you stripped off? Of in the clothes you stripped off?

[Reapwhatyousow]

Go back to the scene. Stand exactly where you were to the best of your ability and look from all angles. I know you must feel pacnicky at the moment but unless someone has picked it up the ring is still there. If you can manage it, make a cup to tea and take a chair out with you. Sit, try to relax and look. If you have someone to help get them to go on their hands and knees for you. Aawww, you are likey to find it. Let us know how you get on.

[CozImQuirky]

Are you sure it didn't fall out when you got undressed? Slipped under the bed or a chair? I use a torch to find shiny surfaced things if I can't see them straight away, get as low as you can manage and move the light slowly to seeing it glints- maybe you could try that?

[WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant]

Give your clothes a shake. Not so violent that it would send a ring flying...

Second, borrow some people!
It can't be far from where you stood up.

[LadyB49]

Positive side, you know it is in the garden or in the house.
Check every inch of your clothes you took off. Check the room. Check your track from the garden to the room. Then as pp said Mark off the garden area into squares and have someone do a methodical hands and knees search.
About a metal detector, we have one, but really it takes a high spec piece of equipment to properly pick up the signal.
Good luck.

[parmalilac]

Thank you all! I have shaken out the clothes several times, which I threw down near the washing machine which is just by the back door. I did not go upstairs. It's a very private garden, not worried about someone else finding it, but wonder if a magpie could have taken it? (or is it a jackdaw I'm thinking of?). I did find a necklace once by going around in the dark with a torch, so maybe will have to go out very late tonight and have another look - it's not really dark here until after midnight ... not looking forward to that though. My DH will be home tomorrow, but I was hoping to find it before he comes back.

[CatThiefKeith]

Could it have slid under the washing machine?

[wulfy1010]

Look for a local metal detectorist group on Facebook and ask for help. They can be very helpful for things like this

[parmalilac]

Thanks, wulfy, will look on Facebook as you suggest, and will have a poke under the washing machine.

[ThisisMrsNicolaHicklin]

Did you put anything into the washing machine? I lost my wedding ring and it was in the rubber door seal. Also don't shake the clothes out, lay them out flat and pat them down. If the ring is still in there after all your troubles it'll be wedged somewhere and shaking won't get it out.

[hollinhurst84]

St Anthony. Don't laugh
I always say out loud as I'm searching "St. Anthony, St. Anthony please look around, something is lost and can't be found"

[ThisisMrsNicolaHicklin]

Replay what happened from when you put your ring into your bra and try to work out where it could have got to at each step eg Did the ring actually go into your bra or did it fall down into your clothes? Could it have fallen in to your socks, pants, shoes? I lose things all the time. I once dropped a tiny, very beautiful silver earring into very thick bark chippings. I was a wee bit tiddly and had to sit very quietly and slowly remove one bark chip at a time for ages until I could get a hold on it. Hope you find it, OP.

[parmalilac]

Ok, tried the St Anthony thing, no luck there. Have poked a stick under the washing machine and out came a lot of dust bunnies. Looked in shoes, washing machine seal. Yes, the ring was definitely in the bra, had an imprint of it on my skin! I think I will now have to confess to DH when he comes home tomorrow and get him on hands and knees. Will also get him to pull the washing machine out first in case it rolled under the back. Could not find a metal detector group on FB, but then I don't really use it so not sure what I'm doing . Will try again.

[WanderingNotLost]

Where do you live OP?

Also if you can, keep looking at a photo of it to keep it fresh in your mind. Whenever I lose something (alarmingly regularly) I have to remind myself that chances are I've looked at it several times, but I'm too busy searching to actually see it.

[parmalilac]

Live in Scotland. Had no luck on FB but found a website for Scottish metal detector folks and emailed them.

[maz210]

My husband lost his wedding ring working in the garden once, we had to buy a children's metal detector to find it. He'd trodden on it and it got pushed into the lawn so he wouldn't have found it without.

It was quite funny watching him though, the previous house owners must have had a lot of boozy barbeques as he found about 20 beer bottle lids first!

[maz210]

Maplins used to sell cheap metal detectors, we got ours from there.

[parmalilac]

Yes, have looked at them online, seems a cheap one is around £30-40, would one like this work?

[NoBadassMcGee]

Gently placemarking because I have to know if you find it! I hope you do!

PS have you thought of a big magnet? Not sure what type of metal your ring is made of though.

[parmalilac]

It's gold, so a magnet wouldn't work ...

[Seriousjockin]

Definitely try a metal detector OP! My DH's friend lost his wedding ring in the sea (!) and still got it back, after he hired some kind of underwater metal detecting company to find it!

Hope it turns up soon for you.

[parmalilac]

Thanks all, if not pouring down tonight may go out after dark, if not will wait for DH to return tomorrow. Waiting to hear from metal detector group!