Dr. Detector is a Brazilian network specialized in recovering lost jewelry and objects. If you have lost a ring, a necklace, earrings, a watch, a key, or a cell phone on the beach, in the sea, in a river, lake, pool, or lawn, you can make a request through the website, and the system will contact the nearest Accredited Detectorist available to the loss location, who will search with a professional metal detector.
Dr. Detector is a platform that brings together Accredited Detectorists, created by Leonardo, a detectorist from Florianópolis (SC). The detectorists are self-employed, independent professionals, distributed by region, who join the network by referral from existing members.
Dr. Detector does not provide the search service: it connects you with the detectorist, who works on their own. Price and payment are agreed and settled directly between you and the detectorist, and Dr. Detector is not responsible for the service or the amounts charged. The search is an attempt: there is no guarantee that the object will be found.
What the network’s detectorists handle
- Recovery of wedding bands and rings made of gold, silver, and other metals, lost in sand, water, or grass.
- Attempt to locate chains, necklaces, bracelets, bangles, and earrings, fine pieces that are much harder to detect.
- Search for watches, cell phones, keys, coins, and other metal objects.
- Search in water: tidal zone, in the sea up to chest height, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, and pools, with waterproof detectors; some accredited professionals dive.
- Search on land: dry sand, lawns, parks, gardens, backyards, sand courts, trails, lots, and construction sites.
The detector only reacts to metal: documents, plastic glasses, and other non-metal objects are not found.
Each object has a different difficulty
The detector responds to the mass of metal that passes under the coil. Therefore, the size, material, thickness, shape, depth, and type of soil or water greatly affect the chance of finding:
- Wedding bands and rings: can present good detection conditions, depending on the material, size, depth, and environment.
- Chains, necklaces, and bracelets: little metallic mass spread across thin links, with weak or irregular response, even with professional equipment. If there was a pendant, please inform: it may help in the search, without guarantee.
- Earrings, clasps, and small pieces: the reduced size, depth, and position in the ground make the signal difficult.
- Bangles: vary greatly in thickness, shape, and composition; a large bangle is not automatically easy to locate.
- Tungsten, titanium, and other metals: react differently on the detector; please inform the material in the request.
Details at Technical limitations and service conditions and in the guide Lost chain, necklace, or bracelet.
How the referral works
- Request on the website: you provide information about what you lost, the type of location, a description of the place, the date and time, and whether you need it now or can schedule. Searches in water are always immediate due to the tide.
- The nearest accredited professional is contacted: the system calculates the actual driving distance to the location and calls the nearest available Accredited Detectorist. If they cannot assist, the request goes to the next one in the region.
- Confirmation and quote via WhatsApp: you confirm the request via WhatsApp, and the detectorist who accepted will talk to you and send the quote before heading out: Service Fee, paid in advance via Pix, which covers the travel and agreed search time, and Success Fee (success premium), charged only if the contracted object is found.
- Search on site: upon arrival, you show the exact point of loss (information treated confidentially). The detectorist conducts a grid scan with a metal detector, pinpointer, and sieve. In most cases, the search takes up to 2 hours in the field.
- Immediate delivery: if the contracted object is found, it is handed over to you at that moment.
Who are the Accredited Detectorists
They are independent professionals with their own equipment. To join the network, the detectorist needs to be invited by another accredited one, submit a photo ID and selfie, and accept the Terms of Use, Code of Conduct, Safety, and Disclaimer. Each one operates within their radius from their base and has a public profile with experience badges and customer reviews. There are honest detectorists both inside and outside the network: accreditation is a structured form of verification, with written rules.
Where the network operates
Today the network serves 1,444 beaches and bathing spots in 194 cities across 16 states. Each detectorist also covers lawns, parks, rivers and other places within their range.
- Rio de Janeiro: 389 places in 24 cities (Angra dos Reis, Paraty, Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro, Armação dos Búzios, Niterói, Rio das Ostras, Cabo Frio, São Gonçalo, São Pedro da Aldeia, Macaé, Arraial do Cabo, Itaguaí, Resende, Volta Redonda, Iguaba Grande, Saquarema, Magé, Maricá, Nova Friburgo, Quissamã, Araruama, Casimiro de Abreu, Valença)
- Santa Catarina: 287 places in 25 cities (Florianópolis, Governador Celso Ramos, Bombinhas, São Francisco do Sul, Palhoça, Penha, Balneário Camboriú, Laguna, Porto Belo, Itajaí, Garopaba, Imbituba, Balneário Barra do Sul, Itapema, Itapoá, Barra Velha, Balneário Piçarras, Navegantes, Araquari, Biguaçu, Guarujá do Sul, Imaruí, Joinville, Santa Rosa de Lima, São José do Cedro)
- São Paulo: 235 places in 17 cities (Ubatuba, Ilhabela, São Sebastião, Guarujá, Praia Grande, São Paulo, Caraguatatuba, Bertioga, Santos, Mongaguá, São Vicente, Cubatão, Itanhaém, Limeira, Ribeirão Pires, Santa Isabel, Silveiras)
- Rio Grande do Sul: 142 places in 34 cities (Imbé, Arroio do Sal, Viamão, Porto Alegre, Tramandaí, Capão da Canoa, Novo Hamburgo, Palmares do Sul, Xangri-lá, Cidreira, Pelotas, Osório, São Lourenço do Sul, Terra de Areia, Barra do Ribeiro, Balneário Pinhal, Canoas, Gravataí, Guaíba, Rio Grande, Tapes, Araricá, Arroio dos Ratos, Butiá, Campo Bom, Capela de Santana, Eldorado do Sul, Montenegro, Riozinho, Rolante, São Jerônimo, São José do Norte, São Leopoldo, Sapucaia do Sul)
- Bahia: 85 places in 13 cities (Salvador, Vera Cruz, Itaparica, Salinas da Margarida, Camaçari, Lauro de Freitas, Saubara, Itapicuru, Madre de Deus, Mata de São João, Santo Amaro, São Francisco do Conde, Simões Filho)
- Espírito Santo: 82 places in 6 cities (Guarapari, Vila Velha, Serra, Vitória, Anchieta, Fundão)
- Ceará: 69 places in 13 cities (Fortaleza, Caucaia, Maranguape, Paracuru, Aquiraz, Iracema, São Gonçalo do Amarante, Guaiúba, Paraipaba, Alto Santo, Jaguaribara, Orós, São Luís do Curu)
- Pernambuco: 55 places in 15 cities (Ilha de Itamaracá, Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Ipojuca, Paulista, Goiana, Jaboatão dos Guararapes, Olinda, Recife, Escada, Igarassu, Camaragibe, Glória do Goitá, Lagoa de Itaenga, Paudalho, Vitória de Santo Antão)
- Sergipe: 44 places in 20 cities (Lagarto, Estância, Boquim, Simão Dias, Itaporanga d'Ajuda, Salgado, Barra dos Coqueiros, Itabaiana, Malhador, Tobias Barreto, Aracaju, Arauá, Areia Branca, Muribeca, Nossa Senhora das Dores, Nossa Senhora do Socorro, Pirambu, Poço Verde, Santa Luzia do Itanhy, São Domingos)
- Rio Grande do Norte: 28 places in 16 cities (Caraúbas, Encanto, Rafael Fernandes, São Miguel, Água Nova, Francisco Dantas, Frutuoso Gomes, Lucrécia, Coronel João Pessoa, Doutor Severiano, Felipe Guerra, Riacho de Santana, Rodolfo Fernandes, São Francisco do Oeste, Taboleiro Grande, Umarizal)
- Paraná: 11 places in 4 cities (Guaratuba, Umuarama, Matinhos, Pontal do Paraná)
- Paraíba: 8 places in 2 cities (Pitimbu, Jericó)
- Mato Grosso do Sul: 3 places in 2 cities (Terenos, Anastácio)
- Distrito Federal: 2 places in 1 city (Brasília)
- Goiás: 2 places in 1 city (Goiânia)
- Rondônia: 2 places in 1 city (Ji-Paraná)
The full list, with a page for each city and beach, is under Where we work. If your city is not listed, send the request anyway: the system looks for the nearest available accredited detectorist and tells you if there is no one nearby.
What Dr. Detector does not do
- It does not provide the search service: the search is done by the detectorist, a self-employed and independent professional.
- It does not set, receive or take responsibility for the amounts charged: price and payment are agreed and settled directly between you and the detectorist, and Dr. Detector is not responsible for the service provided.
- Does not guarantee results and does not provide a success rate: each search is unique.
- Does not receive, store, or negotiate found objects. The object you requested and defined for the service is delivered to you. Any other object found during the search remains with the detectorist who performed the service, who is responsible for returning it to the owner or delivering it to the authorities (Civil Code, arts. 1,233 to 1,237); the accredited detectorist is personally accountable for their actions.
- Does not engage detectorists to search for jewelry or objects that do not belong to the requester.
- Does not disclose full names, phone numbers, or other personal information of the accredited detectorists: contact occurs after the request, via WhatsApp.
Contact and official channels
- Lost an object? Make a recovery request: this is the fastest way, as it directly contacts the nearest accredited detectorist.
- Dr. Detector WhatsApp: +55 48 98401-3183 (general inquiries).
- Email: [email protected] (general inquiries and privacy).
- Instagram: @drdetector, featuring photos and videos of recoveries.
- Facebook: facebook.com/drdetector, official page with recovery videos.
- Google: Dr. Detector’s Google profile, with customer reviews.
Do you have a metal detector and want to take requests in your area? Become an Accredited Detectorist. Do you have a hotel, inn, kiosk, or other establishment near the beach? Learn about the Partner Promoter program. Also, check out the real recoveries, the complete guide for those who lost a piece of jewelry, and the Privacy Policy.