Here’s how to best find lost jewelry in Myrtle Beach, according to a professional ring finder

Eleanor Nash
·3 min read

Ring finder Matthew Fry has a larger jewelry collection than his wife.

These wedding bands, engagement rings and necklaces, along with hugs from relieved customers, are Fry’s trophies of almost a decade of returning lost items to their owners.

The owner of a Myrtle Beach area sign business has been searching for people’s lost jewelry since 2014. He caught the bug when he found a class ring in Surfside Beach using his metal detector, and returned it to his owner in St. Louis. Fry saw a business opportunity.

This summer, Fry recovered 11 out of the 16 pieces of jewelry he looked for. He has also searched for phones, key fobs, prescription sunglasses and even a pistol angrily thrown into a lake.

When Fry gets a call from a desperate client, he goes to the location with his metal detectors. Then he asks questions to the client to narrow down his search area and sweeps the spot with his metal detectors, which cost from up to $2,500. Sometimes he finds a ring within a minute and other times he searches for 6 hours.

Fry said he represents possibility to his clients, who find his services on the Ring Finders Network website.

“People lose jewelry on the beach and they lose hope. And then they find us and just for a little bit, they gain hope. Our goal is to find that item, whatever it is, and be able to return it to them,” Fry said.

While clients pay Fry a $100-300 fee for each item found, he said the reward is “a big hug.” “We get almost as emotional as the person that lost it, trying to find some of this stuff,” Fry said.

Here’s what to do if you lose a ring or other item at the beach, from a professional ring finder.

  • While you might be able to retrace your steps to look for an item on packed sand, you’ll probably need to call an expert if you lose something underwater or in soft sand. Fry said jewelry quickly gets covered in sand when dropped in the ocean or on loose sand.

  • When you notice an item is missing, Fry said to stay calm and pay attention to your surroundings. Fry said the more he knows about where the item was lost, the more likely he is to find the item. He can narrow down his searching area with details like the number of paces from a lifeguard stand or tree, or the depth of water at a particular time.

  • If you decide to call an expert, do so quickly. With sands shifting with the wind and tide and many people on the beach, items are more likely to get moved with time.

  • Be sure to check your other belongings – like bags and cars. “I’ve had people call me for a ring search that I spent 4 hours on, and then they call me back the next day and go, ‘we found it in the floorboard of the car.’ And I’m just happy that there’s a happy ending,” Fry said.

  • Talk to a nearby lifeguard, your hotel staff or your area law enforcement division, just in case someone turned in your item.