Buying guide
Metal detectors for jewelry and lost rings
Pick a detector with a dedicated jewelry setting, such as the Vanquish 340, with All Metal, Jewellery and Coin modes. For a ring lost in the surf, pick one rated waterproof as a whole, like the Simplex Lite, IP68 to 16 ft (5 m).
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The picks
Three Minelab models, the Garrett ACE 400, and one Nokta rated waterproof as a whole.
1. Minelab Vanquish 340
The fewest modes of the five: All Metal, Jewellery and Coin, at 2.6 lb. A pinpointer helps with small jewelry in the hole, and this bundle has one.
Sold as a bundle: the listing names a Pro-Find 15 pinpointer with the detector.
2. Minelab Vanquish 540
Adds Custom and Relic modes: All Metal, Custom, Jewellery, Coin and Relic. Its target ID reads -19 to 40, 25 segments, against -19 to 40, 5 segments on the 340.
Sold as the Pro Pack bundle: the listing names two waterproof coils and a carry bag.
3. Minelab X-Terra Voyager
One frequency, 5.82 kHz, with All Metal, Custom, Jewellery and Learn modes. Minelab puts wired headphones, a collapsible digger and a backpack in the box.
4. Garrett ACE 400
The ACE 400 has five search modes plus pinpoint at 10 kHz. With Iron Audio on, you hear discriminated iron, such as bottle caps, before you dig. Garrett states no water rating for it.
Sold as a bundle: the listing names a carry bag with the detector.
5. Nokta Simplex Lite
The only pick rated waterproof as a whole: IP68, submersible to 16 ft (5 m), with a Beach mode, at 2.6 lb.
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Side by side
The same facts for every pick, read on each maker's page. Open a model for its full spec sheet.
| Model | Technology | Frequencies | Waterproofing | Weight | Coil |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minelab Vanquish 340 | Multi-frequencyMulti-IQ | Not published | 3.3 ftCoil only, 1 m | 2.6 lb1.2 kg | 10 x 7-inchV10, elliptical, DD |
| Minelab Vanquish 540 | Multi-frequencyMulti-IQ | Not published | 3.3 ftCoil only, 1 m | 2.8 lb1.3 kg | 12 x 9-inchV12, elliptical, DD |
| Minelab X-Terra Voyager | Single frequency | 5.82 kHz | 3.3 ftCoil only, 1 m | 2.8 lb1.3 kg | 11 x 8.5-inchelliptical, DD |
| Garrett ACE 400 | Single frequency | 10 kHz | Not published | 2.9 lb1.32 kg | 8.5 x 11-inchPROformance, elliptical, DD |
| Nokta Simplex Lite | Single frequency | 15 kHz | 16 ftDetector, IP68, 5 m | 2.6 lb1.2 kg | 9.5 x 6-inchSX24, elliptical, DD |
Sources: Minelab (Oct. 16, 2026), Garrett (Oct. 16, 2026), Nokta (Oct. 17, 2026).
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How to choose
A Jewellery mode, or a custom one
Minelab names a Jewellery mode on the Vanquish 340, the Vanquish 540 and the X-Terra Voyager. The 540 and the Voyager also have a Custom mode you set yourself.
Water rating for the beach
For jewelry lost in the surf, the water rating decides. Of the five, only the Simplex Lite is rated as a whole, to 16 ft. Minelab rates the Vanquish coils to 3.3 ft (1 m).
Light enough for a long search
Weight adds up. You may sweep the same patch many times for one small target, so a lighter detector helps over a long afternoon. The Vanquish 340 and Simplex Lite weigh 2.6 lb, the ACE 400 2.9 lb.
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What to know before you buy
We promise no depth for a ring. How deep a detector reads it depends on the ring, the ground and the coil, as our depth guide explains.
Three of the five listings are bundles; each frame says what the listing names. When we checked on Oct. 16, 2026, third-party sellers held the Buy Box on the ACE 400 and Simplex Lite listings. Detecting dealers or the brand held the others.
A found ring may not be yours to keep. Long Island state parks allow detecting by permit only, in designated areas of listed parks. There, items worth more than $20 and any archaeological artifact go to Park Police. At Corps of Engineers lakes, found items fall under 36 CFR 327.15 and 327.16, except coins worth less than $25 and other non-identifiable items.
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Questions
Answered from the makers' pages, read Oct. 16, 2026.
Use Jewellery mode on the three Minelab picks: the Vanquish 340, the Vanquish 540 and the X-Terra Voyager. Their All Metal mode is the other choice when you don't want to reject any target.
A detector reacts to gold, as to any metal. How deep it reads a given ring is not something a maker can promise. Our gold page explains why.
Follow the rule of the land you are on. In Long Island state parks, where detecting needs a permit, you turn in items worth more than $20 to Park Police. Ask the manager of any other site.
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