This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.(September 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
A lucky stone is actually the unique ear bone or otolith of a freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens), also known as the sheephead fish.[1] The fish's otoliths are quite large and look almost polished and ivory-like. In times past they have been worn as protective amulets, made into jewelry, and traded into areas far from the fish's native range (such as Utah and California). Lucky stones (otoliths) have been found at ancient archaeological sites, where they are thought to have been used as good luck charms to ward off illness.[2]
Lucky stones wash up on beaches along the Great Lakes, especially Lake Erie. This white "stone" is desirable to collectors as the letter L and the letter J appear naturally on these "lucky stones". The J stones come from the right side of the fish and the L stones come from the left side of the freshwater drum.[1]
University of Minnesota Biologist George R. Spangler gives a technical explanation of the "letters" which appear on the lucky stone. "The 'L-shaped groove' is technically known as a 'sulcus'. In the living fish, the sulcus is adjacent to a series of neuromast cells in the inner ear. Pressure exerted upon these neuromasts by movement of the otolith due to gravity or to acceleration of the fish provides information to the brain regarding the orientation of the fish's body."[3]
Many beachcombers walk the beaches in the morning as the waves tend to wash small rocks, "beach glass" and lucky stones to the shore on a daily basis. Lucky stones are also known in other freshwater areas of North America. David Starr Jones notes that "the otoliths of the river-drum are known to Wisconsin boys as 'lucky stones' each having a rude impress of the letter L."[3]
^ abTrautman, Milton Bernhard (1957). The fishes of Ohio: with illustrated keys. Ohio State University Press.
^Hudson, William (2013). "Lucky stones". neoNaturalist.com. Retrieved 2018-05-12.
^ abDr. George R. Spangler "Freshwater Drum" c 2005, 2006
A luckystone is actually the unique ear bone or otolith of a freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens), also known as the sheephead fish. The fish's otoliths...
Ruling Planet & This Is Yours". Elite Daily. Retrieved 14 January 2021. "LuckyStone by Date of Birth - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 January...
Logan Lucky is a 2017 American heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh, based on a screenplay credited to Rebecca Blunt. Soderbergh came out of...
ever for one minute got lost up in the clouds. I've been really lucky in that sense." Stone dated her Paper Man co-star Kieran Culkin for two years. In 2011...
Lucky Strike is an American brand of cigarettes owned by the British American Tobacco group. Individual cigarettes of the brand are often referred to...
allow bowfishing and other non-conventional means to harvest the fish. Luckystone NatureServe (2019). "Aplodinotus grunniens". IUCN Red List of Threatened...
the Greatness in Me': Lucky Daye's Exquisite Taste". Rolling Stone. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-09. Kellman, Andy. "Lucky Daye – Biography". AllMusic...
had carried it around as a luckystone, and referred to it as "his baby". Reeves often claimed that he had acquired the stone at an auction in Istanbul...
indicating "generally favorable reviews". Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave Lucky Them 3 out of 4, saying that "Haden Church gives the movie the joyous...
Lucky Stores is an American supermarket chain founded in San Leandro, California, in 1935. Lucky is currently operated by Albertsons in Utah and Save Mart...
Carol mentions the "Stone Soup" story. A contemporary twist on "nail soup" helps relieve real-world iron-deficiency anemia. The Lucky Iron Fish is a cast...
Lucky Town is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. The album was released on March 31, 1992, the same day as Springsteen's...
in Medium, Malcolm in the Middle, and Lucky Louie, she made her film debut in the comedy Superbad (2007). Stone appeared as a ghost in Ghosts of Girlfriends...
silent slave Lucky, arrives and pauses to converse with Vladimir and Estragon. Lucky is bound by a rope held by Pozzo, who forces Lucky to carry his heavy...
Lucky for You is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Bully released in 2023 by Sub Pop. The album was preceded by the single "Days...
Perry". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 27, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2009. Hootie and the Blowfish Get Lucky story at Rolling Stone v t e...
island of Curaçao, it is considered a "luckystone" that washes up on the shores of Curaçao and Venezuela. These "stones" get very warm when rubbed. They are...
For Quetzal / Prepare According To Instructions / The Big Cake Mix-Up LuckyStone / The Balancing Act / On Thin Ice LazyTown (Sports Day) Nick Jr #1 (Dora...
horror films Your Lucky Day and Abigail, and the drama film Freaky Tales. It was confirmed that he had completed work on Your Lucky Day and Abigail before...
the stallion and frees him from his pen. Lucky also makes friends with Prudence "Pru" Granger and Abigail Stone. Pru owns a talented and proud palomino...
and over 3 million followers on Instagram. Smith married fashion model Lucky Blue Smith in 2020. They have three children and she is also stepmother...
Wishes (Doubleday) The Boy Who Didn't Believe In Spring (Penguin) The LuckyStone. Delacorte Press. 1979. ISBN 978-0-440-05122-0.; Reprint Yearling Books...