Reflecting on 30 years spent rescuing lost jewellery

A fascinating report has been published detailing the exploits of jewellery hunter Zoël Manguillier, an expert in recovering lost valuables in Mauritius.

The Wall Street Journal recently published a report on the 61-year-old and his remarkable record for discovering lost jewellery, whether it be underwater or buried in sand.

Manguillier estimates he’s found more than 1,000 rings during three decades of jewellery hunting by the seaside, occasionally as a way to pass the time, but typically upon request from panicked tourists.

“Manguillier found his niche in the island economy in 1993 when a French friend brought him a Fisher metal detector, which operates both on land and in the water,” writes Michael M. Phillips.

“It now stands next to his four Excalibur IIs, lovingly lined up like soldiers on his living-room sofa. There’s usually one in the car trunk because you never know.

“His father was a fisherman by trade, and they used to spend nights out on the water. Manguillier prefers to do his metal detecting after sunset, too. The beaches are empty, and he can concentrate on the beeping in his bulbous yellow headphones, which grows louder as the coil gets closer to metal.”

The report notes that Manguillier rarely sells the valuables he discovers, opting instead to keep them in a plastic container.

Manguillier is often seen with a metal detector in hand, wearing distinctive bulbous yellow headphones.