It was a Rainy Tuesday Night, and I had just returned home from work. I had plans to go get a short hunt in that evening, even though it was raining. The swell chart said there was some larger than normal choppy waves, so I put on the rain gear and headed down. It was very low tide when I arrived, after the first 45 minutes I had come to the conclusion that no good targets where going to be from the middle of the beach and up. So I focused on the water line to knee deep hoping to find a spot where some sand moved. I finally started finding some quarters and nickels in ankle deep water. Then I got a deep solid 12-39 on the CTX 3030. From experience zincs where I hunt never go above 12-38.
I have found plenty of copper and silver jewelry in the range between zincs and dimes. So I figured it was a copper something. Once it was out of the hole and in my hand... I knew it wasn't copper :) I took a look and saw it was a heavy ring and had a "J" on it, pretty cool, my initial, but still didn't know if it was the real deal... as it was dark and I don't use a light when I hunt... I was actually more interested to see what else was around... cause that ring was heavy... and there might be more. I spent another hour in the rain and dark before heading home to see what I had found.
Once I was in the truck... I turned the light on and saw that deep yellow color right away I knew it was at least 18K. I saw a very small hallmark on the inside but couldn't make it out. When I got home I cleaned it up and pulled out the loupe to check that hallmark out again... low and behold it says 22K, a quick acid test confirmed it. My first 22K ring with my initial on it to boot. HOW COOL IS THIS HOBBY...!!!
Jake - California, USA
