Is the jewelry you find on beaches yours to keep

NO! It IS the law. And there are hefty fines and potential jail time for failing to comply. And I should know because I am the one you send your finds to.

So send ALL the rings and other sparkling finds to me, care of this forum.

:laughing:
 
When someone on the beach asks, I say have found "2 pennies and a dime". Bet you I have said that phrase 200 times :laughing::laughing:
 
What a bunch of greedy b@st@rds :laughing:

My daughter lost a sterling ring I dug and gave to her. Someone at her school turned it into the office. I've found 6 gold rings and more silver items. I can't really find their owners and if I gave them to whatever entity equates to a lost and found I bet I'd never see them again. It's an odd dichotomy but I guess I must have some pirate :pirate: blood in me lol
 
Carcola33, great thread. Interesting topic. I mean, we DO look for "valuables" afterall, haha.

As Kapidr pointed out, there are laws that govern lost and found. He's just cited Florida, but trust me: They're in all 50 states. Usually some criteria cutoff valuation point of $50 or $100 or more value, has to be turned into the police. Notice the laws don't give you the option of your own repatriation attempt. Eg.: pinning a flyer to a telephone pole. Or running a "found" CL ad, etc.... It merely says to turn in all valuables over a certain threshold to the police.

And notice as Kapidr's citation also shows: this isn't always a free process, if you intend to try to claim it in 30 days! Like in CA, you must pay for any newspaper publication cost they incurred, in running a "found" classified ad. And .... I know this sounds horrible, but .... what's to stop of the counter clerk at the police station, on the 29th day, from calling their "uncle Bob" and saying "Hey Bob, want a nice rolex? Come down to the station and describe a such & such that you lost on such & such beach". While I know that sounds terrible, how have you been harmed? It was never yours to begin with! You turned it in knowing full well it might be claimed. And they have no obligation to tell you the name of the claimant (privacy laws).

The law also makes no distinction on when YOU think something was lost (fresh lost versus something there for years, etc...)

As itsaring said: the average cop realizes (and probably doesn't care) that no one's actually doing this. I mean, sure, if you found an Ipad on a bus bench, or a wandering cow, or a Brinks armored car door swung open, then sure, the law does have its place. Was it ever meant to be applied to md'ing? Probably not. But if you asked enough cops, lawyers, etc..., you'll find a few that will tell you the chapter and verse. Hey, you asked :)

This is one of those arenas in md'ing that you have to go by the "does anyone *really* care test". We all probably agree on class rings, commissioned hunts, etc.....
 
If I can return it (class ring etc.) I will, if not I keep it. I hunt with police offers and I promise you they don't turn it in. We have returned a few wedding bands that had inscriptions in them.
 
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I thought about this movie too.:yes:
 
Actually all your finds should be sent to me as soon as you pull them. I'll see that they get put to good use...

Yes do what you want with them, detectors code says that you return what you can but its all personal. The last time I tried to return a ring the woman hung up on me thinking I was selling something.... I said I found this ring at this beach while metal detecting and I'd like to return it to you and she said that she was not buying anything today and wished me the best..... ((I melted it))
 
Actually all your finds should be sent to me as soon as you pull them. I'll see that they get put to good use...

Yes do what you want with them, detectors code says that you return what you can but its all personal. The last time I tried to return a ring the woman hung up on me thinking I was selling something.... I said I found this ring at this beach while metal detecting and I'd like to return it to you and she said that she was not buying anything today and wished me the best..... ((I melted it))

I returned a WW2 dog tag to the soldiers daughter... she never even said thanks. I learned a lesson that day, and the lesson was what I find is mine unless I WANT to return it.
 
I keep trying to return these Felix pennies and peeps just get mad at me.

Whats a jewelry? :?:
 
ok, here goes.....

i have never yet whilst detecting found anything such as valuable jewelry that's been "lost" because we ALL know no one out there is dumb enough to wear a 5 or 10 thousand dollar ring to an area such as a beach!

so the question comes to mind about how did such and such an object get to be where it is?
easy: it was deliberately thrown there!! and since that's the case without a doubt, then it belongs to whoever has the good luck of finding said object.... ring, watch, pulltab, you name it. the person didn't want it anymore, so in our own pocket it goes, or in the case of the many items of trash we often find, we properly dispose of it and not just throw it in the sand.
as for the topic of WHY someone would throw away a perfectly good ring, watch, pulltab, there are many possible reasons: lovers spat, nasty divorce, their garbage bag was already too full, etc, etc.
if someone asks me to come to their yard and search for a specific and genuine lost item, sure no problem and if found it gets returned to them. otherwise, it's mine. :yes:
 
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