Metal detecting to find what you lost
A wedding ring dropped in the lawn, keys lost in the hedge, the box your grandfather buried at the bottom of the garden. I come to you with my detector and search methodically until we find it.
Treasure hunt
20 seconds to find as much treasure as you can. Follow the signal, then click to dig.
A ring lost while gardening, a bracelet on the beach, an earring in the grass. The sooner I come, the better the odds.
A box, coins or jewellery put away by a relative. Ideal before a sale or during an estate settlement, using the clues the family remembers.
Keys dropped in the leaves, a tool left in a field, a phone lost at an outdoor party.
Find a buried inspection cover, a metal plate, the path of a pipe or a boundary marker before building work.
How I work
Every metal object returns a conductivity reading, the VDI, from 0 to 99. Reading it tells me before I dig whether it is a nail or a precious metal, so your ground is disturbed as little as possible. My XP Deus II shows this value in real time.
In the garden A wedding ring slipped into the lawn.
In the house A chest forgotten under the floorboards.
On the beach A bracelet lost in the sand.
Move your mouse over the picture like a detector, then click to dig when the signal is strong.Slide your finger over the picture like a detector, then tap to dig when the signal is strong.
I've been metal detecting for 10 years. My favourite part isn't the beep: it's the moment someone gets back an object they thought was gone for good.
I'm also interested in caring for metal objects. I know how to clean without damage and can advise you on how to keep what we find.
In the field I use an XP Deus II, one of the best-performing detectors on the market. It transmits on several frequencies at once, tells metals apart precisely, stays accurate in wet or mineralised soil, and is waterproof to 20 metres, so I can also search by and in the water.
Retrouvailles runs alongside my day job. I work mostly in the evenings and at weekends, by appointment.
Olivier
Every search is a story. Here I share the objects we found, with their owners' permission. Locations are kept deliberately vague.
The first stories are coming soon. Until then, here are three examples of what this logbook will look like.
Playing ball with her children, a client feels her ring slip off. She searches for an hour, then calls. On site we mark out the play area, grid it in one-metre strips, and the signal comes up on the third pass.
“The client’s own words will appear here, with their permission.”
Before the family home is sold, the grandchildren remember a story: their grandfather buried his savings near the old pear tree. We sweep the orchard, set aside nails and bottle caps, and an iron box appears under the roots.
“The client’s own words will appear here, with their permission.”
A bunch of keys dropped while raking leaves, with the car key and the gate key. The garden is big and the leaf pile already moved. The detector sorts it out in a few minutes.
“The client’s own words will appear here, with their permission.”
A 15-minute call to understand what you are looking for, where and since when.
I send you a clear price: call-out, success fee and travel.
I grid the area, dig neatly and fill in every hole.
Everything I find is yours. I also hand over the scrap metal I pull out.
Travel: free within 30 km, then €0.50 per kilometre. For distant or international jobs, transport is included in the quote.
Whatever I find on your property belongs to you. I keep nothing.
Small, neatly cut holes, filled in and tamped down. Your lawn stays a lawn.
Professional liability insurance for every job.
If a wartime device turns up, we stop, touch nothing and call the bomb disposal service.
Pick a slot for a free first call. I call you back and send a quote within 48 hours.
A ring lost yesterday is far easier to find than one lost a month ago. Let me know and I will prioritise your request.
Site preview: once online, this form will send me your request directly and you will get a confirmation email.
You only pay the call-out and, where applicable, travel. The success fee is due only if the object is found.
No. In France, searching for objects of historical or archaeological interest requires authorisation from the prefecture. I look for objects lost or hidden recently that you or your family can identify. If an old object turns up by chance, it is reported to the town hall as the law requires.
You do, as owner or occupant of the property. I keep nothing, and this is stated in the quote signed before the job.
An XP Deus II, a high-end multi-frequency detector, wireless and waterproof to 20 metres. It tells gold, silver, copper and iron apart, so I don’t dig for nothing and your ground is spared.
A ring is usually found down to 15–20 cm, a metal box much deeper. It depends on the soil, the moisture and the size of the object.
Yes, in a barn, cellar or attic, as long as I can move around. I do not take apart walls or floors: I show you where the signal is.
Yes, depending on demand. Transport and accommodation are included in the quote, and I check the local rules before leaving.
Just lost a ring? Read my guide first (in French): How to find a ring lost in the garden
This page is only available in French, the language of the contract under French law.
Retrouvailles est le nom commercial de Olivier BASILE, entrepreneur individuel (micro-entreprise).
Directeur de la publication : Olivier BASILE.
Netlify, Inc., 44 Montgomery Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, CA 94104, États-Unis. Site : netlify.com.
Responsabilité civile professionnelle souscrite auprès de [assureur], contrat n° [numéro], couverture : [France / Europe / monde].
Les textes, photos et éléments graphiques de ce site appartiennent à l'éditeur. Toute reproduction sans autorisation est interdite.
This page is only available in French, the language of the contract under French law.
Les présentes conditions encadrent les prestations de recherche d'objets métalliques perdus ou cachés, réalisées au détecteur de métaux par Retrouvailles chez des particuliers et des professionnels.
Chaque intervention fait l'objet d'un devis gratuit, valable 30 jours. Le devis précise l'objet recherché, la zone, le prix de l'intervention, la prime de réussite et les frais de déplacement. La prestation commence après acceptation écrite du devis.
Les prix sont indiqués en euros, TVA non applicable (article 293 B du CGI). La prime de réussite n'est due que si l'objet désigné dans le devis est retrouvé. Le déplacement est offert dans un rayon de 30 km, puis facturé 0,50 € par kilomètre.
Le paiement intervient à la fin de l'intervention, par virement, carte bancaire ou espèces dans la limite légale. Pour les recherches de plusieurs jours, un acompte de 30 % peut être demandé à la signature du devis.
Le client particulier dispose de 14 jours pour se rétracter d'un contrat conclu à distance ou hors établissement, sans avoir à se justifier. S'il demande expressément que l'intervention commence avant la fin de ce délai, il reste redevable du montant correspondant au service déjà fourni.
Retrouvailles s'engage à mettre en œuvre tous les moyens raisonnables pour retrouver l'objet, sans pouvoir garantir le résultat. Le prix de l'intervention reste dû si l'objet n'est pas retrouvé.
Tous les objets trouvés sur le terrain du client lui sont remis. Retrouvailles ne conserve aucun objet. Toute découverte pouvant présenter un intérêt historique ou archéologique est déclarée en mairie, conformément à l'article L531-14 du Code du patrimoine. En cas de découverte d'une munition ou d'un engin explosif, l'intervention est interrompue et les services de déminage sont prévenus.
Le client certifie être propriétaire ou occupant autorisé du lieu, et autorise Retrouvailles à y effectuer de petits sondages, rebouchés après chaque recherche.
En cas de litige, le client particulier peut recourir gratuitement au médiateur de la consommation : [nom et coordonnées du médiateur].
Les présentes conditions sont soumises au droit français.
This page is only available in French, the language of the contract under French law.
Le formulaire de rendez-vous recueille votre nom, votre téléphone ou e-mail, le lieu de la recherche et la description de votre demande.
Ces données servent uniquement à vous recontacter, à préparer un devis et à réaliser l'intervention. Elles ne sont ni vendues ni utilisées pour de la publicité.
Trois ans après notre dernier échange, puis elles sont supprimées. Les factures sont conservées dix ans, comme l'exige la loi.
Seul l'éditeur du site y a accès. Les demandes transitent par l'hébergeur du site (Netlify).
Vous pouvez accéder à vos données, les corriger ou les faire supprimer en écrivant à contact@retrouvailles.xyz. Vous pouvez aussi adresser une réclamation à la CNIL (cnil.fr).
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