Futer Bros. Blog

When Bullhead City officials posted a plea on Facebook to help identify the rightful owner of a jewelry box containing a pair of gold cufflinks and a black-and-white photograph from 1954, they never imagined the mystery would be solved in just 24 hours. Thanks to the power of social media, the sentimental treasures found in a stolen vehicle were quickly reunited with the family that had lost them decades earlier.



The unusual story began last December when a vehicle stolen from Bullhead City, AZ, was recovered in Las Vegas and returned to its owner. While cleaning out the car, the owner discovered a jewelry box from the now-closed Whelan Jewelers in Clifton-Morenci, AZ. Inside was a photo of a smiling young couple, dated November 7, 1954, along with a set of engraved gold cufflinks.

Recognizing the items were likely of sentimental value, the vehicle’s owner turned them over to city officials. Bullhead City Manager Toby Cotter stepped in just before they were slated for public auction, halting the sale and launching a search for their true owner.

“With that picture, we can find somebody who will own these and will take pride in these," Cotter told FOX5 Vegas. "So we started the search and it surprisingly didn’t take very long.”



The city posted an appeal on its Bullhead City Laughlin Events Facebook page, urging the public's assistance in solving the mystery.

"Do you know this couple?" the city wrote. "Share this post and help us return these memories where they belong."

The post quickly circulated online, eventually landing in a group called Morenci Pals, dedicated to the Arizona copper mining town where the photo was taken. That’s where Houston resident Ralph Duran Jr. recognized the couple instantly: his late parents, Olga and Ralph Duran Sr.

“The blood just rushed out of my entire body, and to be honest, I probably cried for about 10 minutes straight,” Duran told AZFamily.com.

He had never seen the photo before, but remembered stories of his father — a Marine — posing with his mother in his grandmother’s Morenci backyard while on military leave. The cufflinks, engraved with his father’s name, sealed the connection.

How and why the cufflinks and 70-year-old photo ended up in the stolen car remains a mystery.

For Duran and his sister, Maria Smith, of Las Vegas, the discovery was overwhelming. Many of their family photos had been destroyed years ago, making this newly uncovered image even more precious.

“They were so happy, and so in love,” Smith told FOX5 Vegas.

The items are now being mailed to Duran in Texas, where they will remain cherished family heirlooms. Reflecting on the experience, Duran said the discovery felt like a sign from his parents.

“It’s just a sign that I always believe that, you know, they’re still watching out for us. It’s just kind of a gentle push to let us know they’re still there, and they’re still looking after us, and hopefully we’re making them proud,” he told AZFamily.com.

Credits: Photo courtesy of City of Bullhead City.

It was supposed to be just another day of filming for Kevin Richardson’s YouTube series, "Finding Your First Gold Nugget." Instead, the veteran Australian prospector struck the find of a lifetime — a massive, 7-ounce gold nugget worth nearly AU$40,000 (US$25,000) — while demonstrating a lesson on where to look for “clunkers.”



Richardson and his wife, Eliza, were prospecting in Western Australia’s Goldfields near Kalgoorlie, a region famed for producing some of the world’s largest nuggets.

The couple isn’t content with random searches. They rely on sophisticated tools such as the Trilobyte app, which overlays geological and historical gold deposit data to pinpoint the most promising spots. This careful research, Richardson says, “dramatically increases your chances” of finding gold.

On their third day in the field, Richardson was showing viewers why it’s important to check under bushes, where large nuggets often remain hidden from decades of prospectors. His metal detector gave off what he calls a “screaming” target — the kind of signal that often yields a tin can or other rubbish.

“You know, I never build my hopes up too high with these sort of targets. Too many times I’ve dug up a bullet,” he admitted on camera. Still, he called Eliza over to film, “just in case.” Moments later, he unearthed a dirt-caked lump that immediately felt far heavier than tin or lead.



“Oh my God! That is gold, look at the size of that,” he exclaimed, before kissing the nugget and dubbing it a “clunker.” Initially estimating it at two ounces, the couple later weighed it back at camp: 214 grams — just shy of 7 ounces.

The irony wasn’t lost on Richardson. He’d long been trying to join prospecting’s informal “1-ounce club,” and instead leapfrogged straight into what he calls the “7-ounce club.”



The discovery capped off a methodical search. Days earlier, Eliza had found a small nugget nearby, convincing them the lease had potential. They then zeroed in on ground with geology similar to active gold mines and methodically worked the terrain, saving the hardest-to-reach, bush-covered areas for last. That’s where the jackpot lay.

Richardson says the find underscores the value of persistence and preparation.

“Too many people buy a detector and just head out anywhere and think they’re going to find gold,” he said. “You’ve got to do your research… and work the ground very, very carefully.”

The nugget will be sold to a gold buyer, but a replica will be made so Richardson can keep a tangible reminder of the day he and his wife struck it big — live on camera.

Check out the full video here…

Credit: Screen captures via YouTube / BK Gold Detecting.

After eight years together, legendary soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo and model/influencer Georgina Rodríguez are officially engaged — and their eye-popping diamond ring is making headlines across the globe.



Rodríguez, 31, revealed the news Monday on Instagram, posting a photo of herself wearing a colossal oval-cut diamond flanked by two smaller ovals in a platinum setting.

“Yes, I do. In this and in all my lives,” she wrote in Spanish.



Jewelry experts estimate the center stone could weigh as much as 37 carats and be valued upward of $5 million, placing it among the largest and most valuable celebrity engagement diamonds of all time.

It joins the ranks of former First Lady Jackie Kennedy’s 40.42-carat marquise diamond from shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis in 1968, singer Mariah Carey’s 35-carat emerald-cut diamond from media mogul James Packer in 2016, and starlet Elizabeth Taylor’s famed 33.19-carat Asscher-cut diamond from actor Richard Burton, also in 1968.



Ronaldo, 40, is currently the highest-paid athlete in the world, topping Forbes’ 2025 list with $275 million in annual earnings. Over the course of his storied career as a prolific goal scorer for top clubs, such as Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, as well as his national team, Portugal, he has surpassed $1.5 billion in total income. He's now a standout player for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Arabia league. 

The couple’s love story began in 2016 when Ronaldo met Rodríguez at a Gucci store in Madrid, where she worked as a sales assistant. They made their public debut in 2017 and have since built a family together, raising two daughters, Alana and Bella, as well as Ronaldo’s three other children. They endured tragedy in 2022 when Bella’s twin brother, Ángel, passed away during childbirth.

While Ronaldo’s fame has long been global, Rodríguez has built her own celebrity profile. The Argentine-born model has fronted campaigns for Gucci, Prada, Guess and Chanel, walked the red carpet at the 2025 Met Gala, and is a fixture in the fashion world’s front rows.

No wedding date has been announced, but fans are already speculating about what promises to be one of the year’s most talked-about celebrity ceremonies — illuminated by one history's most dazzling engagement rings.

Credits: Images via Instagram.com / georginagio.

Lucara Diamond Corp. has quietly added another colossal find to its already glittering résumé — a 2,036-carat near-gem-quality rough diamond recovered in July from the company’s famed Karowe Mine in Botswana. The discovery, revealed in the second paragraph of Lucara’s Q2 2025 earnings report, ranks as the third-largest rough diamond ever unearthed and the second-largest found in Botswana.



About the size of a baseball and weighing nearly a pound, the rough stone was recovered from processing EM/PK(S)1 kimberlite — the same ore type that has been the focus of Lucara’s Karowe Underground Project. This specific ore body has now produced seven of the world’s largest recorded natural diamonds, solidifying Karowe’s reputation as one of the most prolific diamond sources in history.



Karowe is no stranger to the record books. Of the 10 largest rough diamonds ever found, eight have come from this single Botswana mine. The list includes the following:

2,492-carat Motswedi (2024) – #2 all time
2,036-carat unnamed (2025) – #3
1,758-carat Sewelô (2019) – #4
1,476-carat unnamed (2025) – #5
1,174-carat unnamed (2021) – #6
1,111-carat Lesedi La Rona (2015) – #7
1,094-carat Seriti (2024) – #9
1,080-carat Eva Star (2023) – #10

The recovery of the new 2,036-carat stone was made possible by Lucara’s state-of-the-art X-ray transmission (XRT) technology. Installed in 2017, the system scans ore as it moves along conveyor belts, detecting diamonds based on their unique chemical signature. This process allows large, high-value stones to be identified and removed before they can be damaged by crushing equipment.

Lucara CEO William Lamb credited the technology and operational expertise for the continued string of exceptional recoveries.

“The Karowe diamond mine continues to validate its world-class status with the recovery of a second diamond exceeding 2,000 carats,” Lamb said.

The mammoth find capped off a productive quarter for Karowe. Between April and June 2025, the mine yielded 242 “Specials” — rough diamonds larger than 10.8 carats — representing 9.4% of total carats recovered. That tally included 15 stones weighing more than 100 carats, two of which exceeded 200 carats. Total Q2 production reached 85,024 carats.

Beyond its place in diamond-industry history, the 2,036-carat discovery is a reminder of the vital role Botswana plays in the global diamond trade. The country’s diamond revenues help fund infrastructure, education and healthcare, making each high-value recovery significant not just for Lucara’s shareholders, but for Botswana’s national development.

While Lucara has yet to release photographs of the 2,036-carat stone, The Jeweler Blog has created a conceptual rendering using ChatGPT and DALL·E 3 based on historical images of the 2,492-carat Motswedi and 1,758-carat Sewelô. The image accompanies this story to give readers a sense of the scale and appearance of this extraordinary diamond.

Whether it will be destined for the cutting wheel or preserved intact as a mineralogical marvel, the 2,036-carat Karowe diamond is already part of a rarefied club — and yet another sparkling testament to the mine’s status as the crown jewel of Botswana’s diamond industry.

Credits: Conceptional rendering of the 2,036-carat diamond by The Jeweler Blog using ChatGPT and DALL-E 3. Mine photo courtesy of Lucara Diamond Corp.

For 31-year-old New Yorker Micherre Fox, the road to a perfect engagement diamond didn’t lead to a jeweler’s counter, but to Arkansas’s Crater of Diamonds State Park where, against the odds, she unearthed a 2.3-carat gem on her last day of searching.



About two years ago, Fox set herself an unorthodox goal: to forgo conventional channels and, instead, secure a diamond at the source.

“I was willing to go anywhere in the world to make that happen,” she said. “I researched, and it turned out that the only place in the world to do it was right in our backyard, in Arkansas!”



With her supportive partner encouraging her mission, Fox dedicated the better part of her month-long break after earning a graduate degree to prospecting at the only public diamond-producing site where visitors can keep their finds.

“You need to be willing and able to solve… problems with hard work,” she said.



Arriving on July 8, Fox's daily searches across the park’s 37.5-acre field proved to be "daunting."

"After all the research, there's luck and there's hard work,” she said. “When you are literally picking up the dirt in your hands, no amount of research can do that for you; no amount of education can take you all the way."

At about 11 am on Tuesday, July 29 — her last scheduled day at the park — she paused near the West Drain when a flash of sparkle caught her eye. At first, she thought it might be “an iridescent, dew-covered spiderweb.” Nudging it with her boot, the shine remained.



Fox scooped up what she described as the “most diamond-y diamond” she had ever seen.

Clutching the gem in her fist, Fox raced to the park's Diamond Discovery Center, where the staff confirmed that she had found a colorless diamond weighing more than two carats. It was the third-largest diamond registered in the park so far in 2025.

Overcome with emotion, she “got on [her] knees and cried, then started laughing.”

The diamond — about the size of a human cuspid tooth, with a smooth, rounded shape and metallic luster — is typical of most Crater diamonds. The gem's blemished surface hints at its violent journey to the surface from deep within Earth’s mantle.

Fox, honoring both her and her partner’s surnames, has dubbed her find the "Fox-Ballou Diamond" and plans to set it in her engagement ring. It's not clear whether she will have her stone faceted or leave it in its natural state.

Assistant Superintendent Waymon Cox remarked that her discovery underscores how “even when putting forth your best effort, being in the right place at the right time plays a part in finding diamonds.”

Her discovery joins 366 diamonds registered at the park so far in 2025. In total, more than 75,000 diamonds have been unearthed at the site of Crater of Diamonds State Park since the first diamonds were discovered in 1906 by John Huddleston, a farmer who owned the land long before it became an Arkansas State Park in 1972.

Credits: Images courtesy of Arkansas State Parks.

Welcome to Music Friday, our weekly spotlight on songs that feature jewelry, gemstones, or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, we’re revisiting a witty track by country artist Jason Michael Carroll, who seals a momentous, life-changing event with a half-carat diamond ring in his 2011 single, “Numbers.”



In the song, Carroll takes a lighthearted look at how numbers — from radio frequencies to special dates — seem to surround us every day. While most are meaningless, a select few hold profound importance.

He sings, “Then three years later ‘neath a million stars / In my F-150 on her granddad’s farm / I slipped a half-carat diamond on the third finger of her left hand / And asked to be her one and only man.”

The North Carolina native was instantly drawn to the song when he first heard it.

“It was written by Patrick Davis and Rodney Clawson and it’s about the way certain numbers, like dates and times, can represent some of life’s most significant moments. Moments like your first date, meeting the love of your life and the day your child is born,” he explained. “Most numbers mean absolutely nothing, but some of them, like the date you meet the person you’re going to spend the rest of your life with, mean everything.”

“Numbers” was released in March 2011 as the title track from Carroll’s third studio album. The album charted at #33 on the Billboard US Country Albums list and was sold exclusively at Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores. It was a fitting distribution channel since Carroll got his start singing in public while working as a Cracker Barrel server in Henderson, NC.

Born in Youngsville, NC, in 1978, Carroll earned his big break at age 26 when he won the “Gimme the Mic” vocal competition hosted by local FOX affiliate WRAZ. That success led to a record deal with Arista Nashville in 2006.

Carroll is currently on tour, with performances scheduled in states across the country, including West Virginia, Florida, Alabama, California, Idaho, Michigan and Indiana.

Be sure to check out the audio track of Carroll performing “Numbers.” And if you’d like to sing along, the full lyrics are below…

“Numbers”
Written by Rodney Clawson and Patrick Davis. Performed by Jason Michael Carroll.

I’m doin’ 72 in a 65,
On I-24 in a four-wheel drive
Got a 10 o’clock on 18th Avenue

And there’s a 30% chance of rain all week
And the high today is gonna be 83
They’re playing Highway 101 on 102.5
An 18 wheeler by my side

Numbers all around, flying by, up and down,
Some as slow as Christmas coming,
Some like the speed of sound,
And we all wonder, what they mean,
The highs, the lows, the in-betweens,
Most of them mean absolutely nothing
But some of them mean everything

I met her at 9:15 on my buddy’s back porch
Shootin’ bottle rockets on July 4th
We were both 19 and she was a perfect 10

Then three years later ‘neath a million stars,
In my F-150 on her granddad’s farm,
I slipped a half-carat diamond on the third finger of her left hand
And asked to be her one and only man

Numbers all around, flying by, up and down,
Some as slow as Christmas coming,
Some like the speed of sound,
And we all wonder, what they mean,
The highs, the lows, the in-betweens,
Most of them mean absolutely nothing
But some of them mean everything

John 3:16, the Fab four,
The 50-yard line, the 13th floor,
9/11, the dirty dozen,
We’re all waiting on the Second Coming

Numbers all around, flying by, up and down,
Some as slow as Christmas coming,
Some like the speed of sound,
And we all wonder, what they mean,
The highs, the lows, the in-betweens,
Why, most of them mean absolutely nothing,
Oh most of them mean absolutely nothing,
But some of them mean everything
Oh numbers

I’m doin’ 72 in a 65,
On I-24 in a four-wheel drive
Got a 10 o’clock on 18th Avenue



Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com / JiggidyNDG.

This summer marks the 50th anniversary of amethyst being designated as Ontario’s official gemstone — a milestone being celebrated across the province, especially in the Thunder Bay region, where the vivid purple mineral holds both geological and cultural significance.



While many cultures throughout history have attributed mystical origins to amethyst, including the ancient Greeks and early Christian mystics, some First Nations traditions offer a deeply personal and spiritual explanation.

One such story tells of a young girl who became lost in the wilderness while gathering blueberries. As she cried in fear and sorrow, her tears were said to have soaked into the Earth, crystallizing into the purple quartz we now know as amethyst. This origin story imbues the stone with a connection to human emotion, memory and the sacredness of the land — resonating powerfully in a region where nature and spirit are closely intertwined.



Amethyst, a type of quartz, is typically found in hollow rock cavities called vugs, formed within ancient volcanic deposits. Ontario’s deposits — particularly those around Thunder Bay — are believed to be over a billion years old. The crystals grow in stunning hexagonal formations, ranging in color from deep purple to soft lavender and even reddish hues due to inclusions of hematite. Locals have special names for the colors — Precious Purple, Thunder Bay Lavender, Phantom Rove (red) and Black Gem.

On July 8, 1975, amethyst was adopted by the Ontario legislature as the official mineral emblem through the efforts of Minister of Natural Resources Leo Bernier. Bernier, known affectionately as the “Emperor of the North,” believed the mineral should represent the unique natural heritage of Northern Ontario. Though other options, such as sodalite, were considered, amethyst was ultimately selected for its beauty, accessibility and wide distribution across the region.

As part of the 50th-anniversary celebrations, Thunder Bay’s annual Mining Day took on an amethyst theme on June 14, featuring crystal digs, gemstone-themed treats, and educational activities. The nonprofit Mining Matters is also marking the occasion by distributing 50 free Amethyst Kits to young Earth scientists across Canada.

Visitors to Thunder Bay can experience amethyst firsthand at two popular locations. Amethyst Mine Panorama, 60 km east of the city, is Canada’s largest amethyst deposit. Family-owned and operated since the 1960s, the mine offers open-pit digging, self-guided tours, and a gift shop featuring locally crafted jewelry. Diamond Willow Amethyst Mine, located in Pearl, offers similar hands-on experiences, where guests can chisel crystals from vugs and explore the geological history of the area.

For five decades, Ontario’s official mineral has been more than just a gemstone — it’s a symbol of the province’s rich cultural history, spiritual depth and enduring natural beauty. As this anniversary unfolds, amethyst continues to shine brightly in the hearts of those who cherish it.

Credits: Amethyst crystals at the Royal Ontario Museum by David Ceballos from Madrid, España, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Map by Google Maps.

A heartwarming real-life rom-com unfolded at Philadelphia International Airport, where love took off and circled back in a full romantic loop. In late July, on a bustling day at Terminal E, beneath the now-famous “Welcome to Philadelphia” sign, Matthew Brenner got down on one knee and proposed to Lesley Venella with a marquise-cut diamond ring. It was the exact spot where they met by chance more than two years earlier.



Their story began in February 2023, when Brenner, a Northeast Philadelphia native, spotted Venella, a Florida transplant originally from New Jersey, snapping a selfie under the welcome sign. He offered to take it for her and they struck up a conversation.

“We were both waiting for our rides, kind of up against the clock,” Venella told Philadelphia’s CW affiliate WPHL. “We exchanged numbers, and I told him I’d cancel my flight back to Florida if he’d take me out the next day.”

Though both thought their airport encounter might just be a brief flirtation, something clicked. What followed was a whirlwind year and a half of cross-country visits, growing affection and a life-changing decision. Brenner sold his karate business, packed a single suitcase and relocated to Florida to be with Venella.

“When we first met, I thought, ‘She lives in Florida, I live in Philly. This is cute, maybe a fun little fling,’” Brenner recalled to WPHL. “But then as things grew, I was like, ‘Oh, wait. This person’s actually amazing.’”



When it came time to propose, Brenner knew there was only one place it could happen. He returned with Venella to Terminal E, this time not just with butterflies — but with a plan. He even arranged for a custom banner to cover the original sign, reading, “Will you marry me?”



The couple was joined by their parents and, unexpectedly, more than 100 strangers who stopped to witness the touching moment.



“[They] had their phones out—including the airport staff,” Brenner said. “Then there was this thunderous roar. I didn’t expect that. These people actually got a better view than our families.”

The engagement ring appears to feature a marquise-cut diamond flanked by matching marquise side stones on a yellow gold band — an elegant and timeless choice befitting a cinematic love story.

Their story quickly went viral, with the airport posting a video of the proposal and high-profile national media outlets, such as people.com, picking up the tale.

Said PHL in a social post, “You met as strangers in our terminal and now you’re building a life together. We are truly honored that PHL was the starting point for your love story.”

For Venella and Brenner, the baggage claim at Terminal E in Philly didn’t just deliver luggage — it delivered destiny.

Credits: Screen captures via Instagram / blackbeltbrenner1.

For centuries, one of the world's most dazzling gemstones lived in disguise. Mistaken for ruby and featured in some of the most famous crown jewels, spinel earned its nickname as “the great impostor” of gemstone history. But in 2016, this radiant gem stepped out of ruby’s shadow to become an official birthstone for the month of August, joining the yellow-green peridot and zebra-striped sardonyx.



Spinel’s rise to official birthstone status was a rare event. Since the modern birthstone list was first established in 1912 by the American National Retail Jewelers Association (now Jewelers of America), the list had only been amended a few times. So when the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) and Jewelers of America announced spinel’s inclusion, it was met with excitement — and some surprise — throughout the jewelry world.

Long prized for its vibrant red hues, spinel was often indistinguishable from ruby until the late 18th century. The two share similar colors, due to the presence of chromium in their chemical makeup. However, spinel is composed of magnesium aluminum oxide, while ruby is a variety of corundum made from aluminum oxide. It wasn’t until 1783 that mineralogists formally recognized spinel as a mineral distinct from corundum.



By then, many legendary “rubies” had already found their way into royal collections. Among the most famous are the 170-carat Black Prince’s Ruby in the British Imperial State Crown, the 361-carat Timur Ruby presented to Queen Victoria in 1851, and the 398-carat gem atop the Imperial Crown of Russia. Each was later confirmed to be a red spinel.

While spinel is best known in rich reds, this versatile gem occurs in a rainbow of colors, from soft pinks and purples to fiery oranges and steely blues. In its purest form, spinel is colorless, but trace elements give rise to its kaleidoscopic variety. Blue spinels are colored by iron and cobalt, while vibrant reds are chromium-rich.



Spinel’s durability also makes it a standout gemstone for jewelry. Ranking 8.0 on the Mohs hardness scale, it is a resilient choice for everyday wear. Ruby, by comparison, rates a 9 on the hardness scale.

Today, spinel is mined in locations around the world, including Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Tanzania, Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Myanmar (formerly Burma) is known for producing some of the finest pink and red spinels on the market.

Once an overlooked understudy to ruby, spinel is now getting its well-deserved moment in the spotlight — especially for those celebrating August birthdays with a gem as bold and colorful as they are.

Credits: 40.25-carat Tajikistan spinel photo by Greg Polley/Smithsonian. British Imperial State Crown by Cyril James Humphries Davenport, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Spinel crystals by Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

A remarkable discovery at a Roman archaeological site in northwestern Spain is offering new insights into the aesthetic tastes, spiritual beliefs and long-distance trade practices of the ancient Romans. At the settlement of A Cibdá de Armea, archaeologists unearthed a 450-million-year-old trilobite fossil — an extinct marine arthropod — that appears to have been intentionally modified for use as jewelry between the 1st and 3rd centuries CE.



This find is historic on several fronts: It is the first confirmed instance of a trilobite fossil used as personal adornment in the Roman world and only the third known example of such usage by any ancient human population. Measuring just under 4 centimeters (about 1.5 inches), the fossil shows seven artificial wear facets on its underside — flattened areas likely created to help the piece lie flush when mounted in a bracelet or pendant. Researchers believe it may have been encased in gold, silver or leather.



Its striking reddish hue, caused by mineralization in iron oxide, helped researchers trace its origin to the Tristani Beds in the southern Central Iberian Zone, which is about 430 kilometers (267 miles) from the site. That such a small item was transported over such a vast distance suggests it held considerable value, not just as an ornament but as a symbol imbued with magical or protective powers.



According to the study, which was published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, the fossil was discovered alongside a bronze coin of Emperor Augustus, Rome’s first emperor, who ruled from 27 BCE to 14 CE. Roman historian Suetonius wrote that Augustus was fascinated by fossils. The emperor reportedly excavated them personally on the island of Capri and exhibited them in what may have been the ancient world’s first paleontological museum at his villa. His collection included what he believed were the bones of giants and mythical creatures — likely the fossils we now recognize as prehistoric remains.

The Armea trilobite offers a rare look at how the ancient Romans incorporated prehistoric objects into daily life and spiritual practice. Fossils in Roman culture were not merely geological curiosities; they were seen as talismans from a primordial world, with the power to protect or bring luck to their owners. The segmented form of the trilobite may even have inspired Roman jewelry designs in jet or black glass known as Trilobitenperlen.

Credits: Jewelry illustration courtesy of A. Fernández-Fernández et al., Archaeol Anthropol Sci (2025). AI-generated image of ancient Romans wearing trilobite jewelry by The Jeweler Blog using ChatGPT and DALL-E 3. Trilobite illustration by Віщун, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.