Metal Detector

The Metal Detector is an informational accessory which informs the player about valuable objects, such as ores, chests, or Life Crystals, in their vicinity. It has a 50% chance to be dropped by the Nymph, a rare cavern enemy.

The Metal Detector displays the specific type of what was detected, for instance, "" When multiple valuables are detected, only the one with the highest value is noted. Like most informational accessories, it does not reveal the location or direction of the detected object.

Object value
Only the following tiles are detected. The name of the most valuable tile present will be shown by the Metal Detector.

Tips

 * Spelunker Potion and Magic Lantern pair well with the Metal Detector, as they will also reveal the item location.
 * Additionally, they reveal items the Metal Detector cannot detect, such as gems, and display lower-tier ores when higher tier ores are masking their detection from the Metal Detector.
 * Since Life Crystals and Life Fruit are prioritized over ores, it may be preferable to continue collecting them even if they are no longer needed. This prevents them from blocking the display of other valuable items.
 * If you are having trouble finding an uncommon ore or other item, such as Adamantite Ore or a Strange Plant, you can try a simple trick to narrow down its location. Maintaining the same vertical position, go left or right until it no longer detects the item you are trying to find, and mark the position where it changes. Do the same in the opposite direction. Stand about halfway between those two points, and search the vertical area above and below where you're standing. You will likely find what you are looking for.
 * This is easier with a Compass or a Depth Meter, for when you're at the edge of the metal detector's range, you can calculate either the exact depth or the exact latitude of it.
 * For example, if you're at 1618 feet east, and the most valuable nearby object is an ore, but at 1622" east, it says there's a chest nearby, you know that the chest is 100 (170) feet east of you, or at latitude 1720 (1790) east, meaning you can go there and know that it's either directly above or directly below you, be significantly reducing the area you need to search
 * Another easier trick if you're playing at 1080p, is to zoom out and use either Binoculars, Sniper Rifle, or Rifle Scope and its variants paired with Spelunker Potions.
 * For example, if you're searching for Life Fruits, move around until it says "Life Fruit detected nearby". Then, use those items and search every part you can possibly see using said items. This can significantly decrease the time to search for Life Fruits.

Trivia

 * Though they are all detected by the Metal Detector, Life Fruit, Sturdy Fossils, Strange Plants, and pots are not metallic.
 * Despite the tooltip, it also detects objects other than ores.