Paleomanjim Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I spent the day yesterday detecting at San Clemente Beach. Was using the Garrett ATX. The recent storms had pushed the sand up high on the beach, forming a large shelf. I decided to start detecting the lowest part trying to avoid the waves. There was more or less a gravel bed around 10" below the sand and most of the finds were on the gravel. As the tide was rising I started hunting the higher slope and was surprised to find a lot more coins on the higher end, just a few feet below the shelf. Most of it was shallow, kind of a surprise as I assumed the coins would sink deeper as the sands had shifted. I was surprised to see 3 other people swinging their detectors as well. Anyway, at the end of the day I had just over $7 in coins, nothing too old, several lead sinkers, a copper bracelet, a pendant and a mans wedding band. The wedding band was found in the deeper surf, but was in perfect condition unlike the coins. I'm assuming whatever it is made from it is resistant to corrosion. So my question is: Is there a way to tell what the metal is? I was thinking maybe white gold but I see no marking on the inner band. The pendant is quite heavy, could be silver, although it has some corrosion on it. Anyway, any tips on how to ID the metal in this stuff is appreciated......jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LipCa Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Take it to a jeweler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homefire Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Photo's always help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertsunburn Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Hi Jim! Sounded like an awesome hunt! Testing the metals...Buy a 'JSP gold test kit'. You will be able to test 10-22k gold, silver and platinum (the platinum test is sucky and really does not prove much). They are about $16 bucks and will last a long time in your case. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertsunburn Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 BTW, well over 95% of all gold rings are marked. You may have a stainless steel ring find. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extractor Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Sounds like a good hunt ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paleomanjim Posted March 6, 2014 Author Share Posted March 6, 2014 Thanks Jim, I will buy the test it, good info. Today I plan to detect a bit at Laguna Beach, then we fly back to Vegas tonight (my wife is here on business so I can fly with her for free!). I'll try to post a pic of yesterdays and today finds when I get home. The best part of this beach hunting is the experience I am getting at using this new detector. The iron check feature is handy, I dug out a railroad spike from over 15" deep! After that I realized I could use the iron check, saved me a lot of digging as their was a lot of deep iron junk at this beach. .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Au Seeker Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I'm guessing the wedding band maybe titanium, if it was made of gold, platinum or silver it would be marked unless it's very, very, very old. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Titanium+wedding+band&qpvt=Titanium+wedding+band&FORM=IGRE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredmason Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 titanium does not look like gold...you could have a silver ring-made from coin silver-old ones are not marked, a platinum ring might not be marked or as already said an older gold ring...silver will tarnish to a black color fairly quickly, the junk coins tarnish to a different color very quicklt and zinc pennies corrode over night.fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LipCa Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I was under the impression that the iron ID was iffy over about 5"?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoser John Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 The more exclusive the beach the better the finds as the wealthy -Corona Del Mar was my favorite to hold classes at as very productive back in the day. Laguna Niguel was good to but used condoms and needles so stay out of the bathrooms for gods sake there though. Short hangled scoop and good to go-John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paleomanjim Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 (edited) Thanks folks. Here's a couple pics of Wednesdays finds. Thursday was unproductive. I went to Aliso Creek beach which is usually packed with sun bathers in the summer. After 30 minutes of detecting no coins, but lots of junk iron hits. I think this beach has been hunted out. I walked north up the beach but the emf from beach homes (mansions!) caused the ATX to start screaming. Tide was rising so I quit. John, Laguna Niguel is a clean beach now. New mansions have been built on the cliffs above but public access is still maintained. The beach is maintained, patrolled, and more or less clean. San Clemente where I hunted is the opposite, old school surfing area, access by crossing over the RR tracks, great surfing area..... LipCa, yes the iron check is iffy above 5". With the ATX on the beach I can more or less tell the depth of the target by the strength of the sound because most finds are coins. Screamers would be 5" or so, weaker sounds 10" and faint sounds 15" or more. My sand scoop is 15". To avoid repeated digging and bending over I usually just used both hands to dig one deep hole to the estimated depth. Then I check the hole with detector to be sure the target is no longer in the hole. Then spread the sand pile out with my foot so it is around 4" high or so. Then hold the iron check button on the ATX and swing again. Most iron would then grunt. Coins usually scream on the shallow sand pile and can be hard to pinpoint. So on the iron grunts I just re-filled my hole and moved on, no need to wast time trying to pinpoint. Oh, what do folks do with beach coins? Most of this stuff is too worn out and corroded to be put back into circulation.....That is probably why there are no really old coins, they might corrode away to nothing given enough time! .....Unless they are made of gold:) Edited March 7, 2014 by Paleomanjim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredmason Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 if you have a tumbler you can clean those coins...I wash mine and run them through the coin buyer machines at the grocery...for 10% they can clean them better than me...The ring is nicked so it is not titanium...fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Au Seeker Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I agree Fred, Titanium is very hard and wouldn't have the scratches that is on the ring, it looks like it could be gold, testing it with tell the tale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertsunburn Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Stainless Steel ring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertsunburn Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I forgot to note that the ring looks like it has a center band. If it does, and it looks gold, it may be 10k. I see these all the time. These rings are tough and getting the gold off of them is a 'b'. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paleomanjim Posted March 8, 2014 Author Share Posted March 8, 2014 (edited) Mystery solved! I brought it out into the sunlight this afternoon and thought I saw something written on the inside. Sure enough....Titanium, more or less worthless! Anyway, thanks for all the help from everyone ID'ing this.....jimedit....I weighed the heart pendant. It is 2 grams heavier than a quarter, with similar surface area and quite a bit thinner. Probably silver or white gold....or at least much denser than copper Edited March 8, 2014 by Paleomanjim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertsunburn Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Normally Robbin's Brother titanium rings are engraved with the word titanium and will not scratch like what is on yours! Are you sure beyond a doubt??? I went to ebay and looked at the titanium rings by Robbin brothers and no scratches and all marked. Still, a good find. Guessing $30-75 on the used market if you decide to sell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoser John Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Those monster garbage truck sized beach cleaning machines utilized in huntington,redondo,hermosa,manhattan sure ruined a good thang. Nice clean beach=no goodies. Miss them sunrises on the beach swinging away having a ball and finding lotza goodies. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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