Lake Erie "Lucky Stones" 9/15/2018

by B. Feyedelem
(Sandusky, OH, USA)

Most people who live on Lake Erie, (Part of the Great Lakes) USA, are well aware of "Lucky Stones".


These treasures that roll up on our beaches actually are from a fresh water fish, the Sheepshead (Freshwater Drum).

The future lucky stones are part of the fishes inner ear/temple area, bone like. Scientists suggest they are in place to help the fish balance in the water. So, each sheepshead has 1 on each side.

Lucky stones come in various sizes, these also determine just what size the sheepshead was. Some can be smaller than the top of a pencil eraser, average size would be about 1/2". Most seem to be a pearly white, some have a beige tint and even some I have found are a light gray & fossilized.

How do you know if you have actually found a lucky stone? Well, each is embossed with a letter "L", the right side of the fishes stone will have a letter "L", the left side stone the letter will be backwards. (see my photo's).

These "Lucky Stones" wash up on the beach with the sea glass, pottery & driftwood. Rare to find a matching set but it does happen.

After a rather large storm, some fish have arrived on the beach with other debris and as they decompose, the lucky stones gently fall out, laying next to the skeleton fish on the beach.

Amazingly, this is the case with my large "set" of lucky stones. These have to be the largest I have ever found in my years of collecting them. Wow, I have displayed a ruler next to them for actual measurement. Treasure indeed!

We save them in pretty bottles & jars on the shelf. They have found their way onto some of the most beautiful jewelry, just like using sea glass. On this date, we visited some of our favorite beaches.

Living on Sandusky Bay, awards us the opportunity to enjoy several islands & harbors - each, if you look, has small & larger beaches.

Happy hunting.

Comments for Lake Erie "Lucky Stones" 9/15/2018

Click here to add your own comments

Oct 06, 2018
 Lucky Stones collection
by: B. Feyedelem

Thank you for your comments, at present I have 3-1/2 empty wine bottles full of the lucky stones. Prior though, I always wanted to use them for something. Several years ago I started making lucky stone bracelets, each used 10. I am an artist & sell my art around our area, I had the perfect arena to sell the bracelets. Of course, that turned into "all beach glass" bracelets, then earrings & charms. Before I knew it, I wasn't painting, but I was making jewelry. My real love is watercolor painting, so I stopped making jewelry and devote my time to painting again. "Keep your toes in the sand".
Oct 05, 2018
 Interesting!
by: Carol

This is very interesting. I have never heard of this. How many do you have in your collection? Thanks for sharing!
Oct 04, 2018
 "Stones" !
by: David

Wow, interesting report. Those sure are large ones!

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Photos Catch of the Day.

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.