The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Summers-end wrap up post - Finds from July & August 2025

September 1st, 2025 - This is my summer end wrap-up post. I began using this format years back doing some journaling in online forums, but decided to officially launch it publicly on this site. The finds pictured are from July and August of 2025. 

The Good: this summer was slightly different from previous seasons. I did make some great finds, and as I've said before, gold and silver are always welcome. This is the first season in as long as I can remember where I didn't get into the water until late July. Look for my summer wrap-up video on YouTube in the coming days, and you're welcome to follow me on Facebook or Instagram to see finds I make in the upcoming autumn season.

The Bad: each year, there’s always a few finds that are stamped with either a fake gold purity or fake makers mark. This season I found a handful of Cartier love bracelets that had 750 marks for purity, Cartier makers mark, as well as a bogus serial number. And the yellow love ring seen in the photo below was a fake as well. Fake 14k gold bracelet, and two other rings stamped 22k and 18k. My advice remains the same - make sure to get a reliable gold tester in your arsenal, because this problem seems to get worse with each passing year.

The Ugly: one of the things this hobby painfully reveals is some of the worst human habits. Littering is definitely up there as one of them, but littering in our water systems is vile and we need to do better as human beings. This year seemed to have less garbage pulled out of the water, and I was able to use a large plastic shopping bag for any/all recovered metal from our waters. All of it will be recycled. As a detectorist you not only make a difference keeping our land and waters safe and clean for future generations to enjoy, but the diverted waste can make a difference as we face global metal shortages. 

Final thoughts: I'm shocked at how many love bracelets and love rings I've found over the last two seasons. Thankfully, the Cartier white gold love ring you see in "The Good" is 100% legit, and I guess the thought that runs through my mind in assessing this trend is that there's a lost opportunity here. Sure, the love themed jewellery is one of the most iconic in jewellery design, however it actually belongs to jewellery designer Aldo Cipullo, who first created the bracelet for Charles Revson (of Revlon fame). Interestingly, when Cipullo created the bracelet, it was electro-plated, and examples that are found nowadays are seen as something of a prototype to the bracelet which Cipullo would later take over to Cartier to become the iconic jewellery it is today. Two thoughts here: I wonder if todays liberated women realize that the design has a bit of Machiavellian twist to it, as the screws and shape were originally meant to symbolize the security of a chastity belt. The other, why counterfeiters haven't instead created a revival bracelet as a tribute to Cipullo is something of a missed opportunity, especially given the trend and seeming interest in this design. But what do I know, I only find them and keep adding them to the pile.