JL Jewelers Blog

As 2025 comes to a close, the precious metals market has delivered one of the most remarkable performances in U.S. history — and it’s welcome news for anyone who owns fine jewelry. Gold, platinum and silver all surged dramatically this year, pushing spot prices to unprecedented levels and quietly increasing the value of rings, bracelets, necklaces and heirloom pieces sitting in jewelry boxes across the country.



Gold led the way in absolute value, climbing an extraordinary 62% year-to-date, rising from about $2,669 per ounce to more than $4,300. Platinum followed with an even sharper gain, jumping more than 91% (from $922/oz to $1,764/oz), while silver delivered the most eye-catching move of all — more than doubling in price with gains exceeding 107% ($30/oz to $62/oz). Rarely in history have all three precious metals rallied this strongly at the same time.

For jewelry owners, this simultaneous surge matters. Precious metals are the foundation of fine jewelry and higher metal prices directly translate to higher intrinsic value. A gold necklace, platinum engagement ring, or silver statement cuff purchased years ago may now be worth far more than expected — even before considering craftsmanship or gemstone value.

Several forces converged in 2025 to fuel this historic rise. Persistent inflation concerns, geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty drove investors toward traditional safe havens like gold. At the same time, central banks around the world accelerated gold purchases as part of broader efforts to diversify reserves, adding sustained upward pressure to prices.

Platinum and silver benefited from a different — but equally powerful — trend: industrial demand. Platinum plays a critical role in automotive emissions systems, green hydrogen development and specialty manufacturing, while silver is essential for solar panels, electric vehicles, electronics and emerging AI technologies. Silver, in particular, is facing its seventh consecutive year of supply deficits, tightening inventories and amplifying price momentum.

While precious metals have experienced major rallies before — notably during the inflationary 1970s and the financial crisis era of the late 2000s — experts say 2025 stands apart. Never before have gold, platinum and silver reached record highs simultaneously, driven by such a complex blend of monetary, geopolitical and technological forces.

Looking ahead, many analysts believe this wild ride is not over. While some cooling or short-term volatility may occur in early 2026, forecasts remain broadly bullish. Continued central bank buying, ongoing industrial demand, and global uncertainty are expected to keep precious metals well supported.

The takeaway for jewelry lovers is a positive one: The beauty you wear and cherish every day is quietly becoming an even stronger store of value.

Credits: Image by The Jeweler Blog, generated by aichatapp.ai.

There are few moments at a wedding more emotional than the father-daughter dance, and one of the most enduring songs for that treasured tradition is the focus of today’s Music Friday feature. Welcome to our weekly celebration of songs that highlight jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in their lyrics or titles. In Michael Bolton’s tender 2003 rendition of “Daddy’s Little Girl,” the singer draws on a rich palette of jewelry symbolism to express a father’s timeless love for his daughter.



Right from the opening verse, Bolton compares his daughter to cherished treasures: “You’re the end of the rainbow, my pot of gold / You’re Daddy’s little girl to have and hold / A precious gem is what you are / A ray of hope, a shining star.”

These comparisons are more than poetic flourishes; they represent the way fine jewelry is valued for its rarity, beauty and permanence. Calling her a precious gem underscores her uniqueness and irreplaceability. Describing her as a pot of gold suggests she is life’s greatest reward, something deeply sought and profoundly treasured. Together, these elements form a tapestry of love expressed through the language of the jewelry world.

Originally written by Robert Burke and Horace Gerlach more than 75 years ago, “Daddy’s Little Girl” has proved remarkably resilient across generations. The Mills Brothers made it famous in 1950, followed by versions from Frank Fontaine (1963) and Al Martino (1967). Michael Bublé revived it in 2002, and one year later, Michael Bolton included it as the eighth track on his Vintage album, giving the classic new life with his signature warmth and power.

Today, the song continues to be a wedding staple. Versions by Bolton and Bublé routinely appear on “best of” wedding playlists, and the tune is frequently recommended by DJs and wedding planners for its timeless sentiment. iHeartRadio previously ranked it #8 on its list of “30 Father/Daughter Wedding Dance Songs Perfect for Your Big Day,” and it still appears in contemporary lists — often placed right alongside modern classics like “My Little Girl,” “Father and Daughter” and “What a Wonderful World.”

Bolton, incidentally, is father to three daughters — Isa, Holly and Taryn (now all in their late 40s) — which may explain why his delivery of this song feels especially authentic. Born Michael Bolotin in New Haven, CT, in 1953, he rose to fame as one of the great pop-rock balladeers of his era, earning two Grammys, six American Music Awards and more than 75 million records sold.

In recent years, the 72-year-old Bolton has faced major health challenges, including surgery and treatment for a brain tumor. But encouraging signs show that his recovery is progressing, with clear scans reported in April 2025 and tentative plans to resume touring when able.

Please enjoy the audio clip of Bolton performing “Daddy’s Little Girl.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Daddy’s Little Girl”
Written by Robert Burke and Horace Gerlach. Performed by Michael Bolton.

You’re the end of the rainbow, my pot of gold
You’re Daddy’s little girl to have and hold
A precious gem is what you are
A ray of hope, a shining star.

You’re as bright as the sunshine, morning’s first light
You warm my day and brighten my night
You’re sugar, you’re spice, you’re everything nice
and you’re Daddy’s little girl.

A precious gem, that’s what you are
A ray of hope, a shining star.

You’re a bright as the sunshine, morning’s first light
You warm my day and brighten my night
You’re sugar, you’re spice, you’re everything nice
and you’re Daddy’s little girl.



Credit: Photo by Alterna2 http://www.alterna2.com, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

A new nationwide survey from BriteCo reveals a powerful shift in how Americans purchase fine jewelry — and who they’re buying it for. According to the findings, 80% of US adults now purchase fine jewelry for themselves, signaling a major cultural turn toward self-expression, personal celebration and the growing belief that luxury doesn’t need to wait for a special occasion.



The survey, which polled 1,002 adults across the country, highlights a strong embrace of “treat yourself” culture, especially among Millennials aged 30–44, who are the most active self-purchasers. In this age group, a remarkable 86% say they have purchased fine jewelry for themselves, leading all generations. For these buyers — many in their prime earning years — jewelry is both a personal reward and a meaningful way to mark life’s achievements.



Across all ages, respondents shared similar motivations for selecting jewelry: 22% say they buy pieces to enhance personal style, while another 22% purchase jewelry to celebrate a milestone such as a promotion, anniversary or important personal goal. Emotional value far outweighs purely financial considerations, with just 14% citing investment potential as their main reason for buying.



This emphasis on self-expression is reshaping what types of jewelry consumers choose. Rings remain the most meaningful self-purchase for most Americans, with 31% selecting them above necklaces and watches. But Gen Z is breaking from the pack: 35% of buyers aged 18–29 prefer necklaces, driven by bold styling trends and the continuing popularity of layering chains. Their preferences highlight how younger consumers are redefining the “meaningful” purchase with pieces that feel personal, expressive and wearable every day.

Spending habits also vary dramatically by generation. Gen Z and Baby Boomers tend to prioritize affordability, with more than one-third saying they would spend under $500 on a self-purchase. Meanwhile, Millennials and Gen X are more likely to splurge, with nearly 20% of Millennials willing to invest between $2,500 and $5,000, and another 8% willing to exceed $5,000 on a single piece. For these buyers, fine jewelry serves as both a stylish reward and a symbol of success.

Perhaps the most telling insight from the survey: 17% of Americans say they don’t need any reason at all to buy jewelry for themselves.

As BriteCo insurance company CEO Dustin Lemick summarized, “Fine jewelry is no longer just a gift someone gives you. It’s something people choose for themselves — to express who they are, and to celebrate what they’ve achieved.”

The study reflects the reporting of 1,002 US adults (18+) via SurveyMonkey Audience in October 2025 for BriteCo, with a ~3% margin of error.

Credit: Image by BigStockPhoto.com. Graphics courtesy of BriteCo.

Collectors are bracing for a landmark moment in US numismatic history as Stack’s Bowers Galleries prepares to auction all 232 limited-edition three-coin sets marking the end of penny production. The sale, scheduled for Thursday, December 11, closes the book on a 232-year chapter that began with the first US cents of 1793.



Created by the United States Mint exclusively for this auction, each set includes a 2025 penny from Philadelphia, a 2025-D penny from Denver and, for the first time ever, a 24-karat, 99.99% fine gold penny, struck in Philadelphia.

The gold cent — already considered one of the rarest modern US Mint issues — contains 0.213 troy ounces of pure gold and carries an uncirculated, burnished finish. With a mintage of just 232 pieces, it ties the record for the lowest production of any Lincoln cent in history.

Every coin in the series bears a unique Omega (Ω) privy mark, a symbol chosen deliberately. Omega, the final letter of the Greek alphabet, signifies completion — the fitting punctuation mark on the penny’s 232-year run. As Mint Acting Director Kristie McNally noted on usmint.gov, “The penny has withstood 232 years of our Nation’s history,” making this farewell both historic and deeply symbolic.

The US Mint halted circulating penny production in late 2025 after years of rising costs and changing consumer behavior. According to the Mint, each cent now costs 3.69 cents to manufacture — a growing burden on taxpayers. Meanwhile, an estimated 300 billion pennies remain in circulation, far more than commerce requires. Though minting is ending, the penny will remain legal tender, and the Mint will continue producing limited numismatic versions.

The December 11 sale is the only venue where collectors can acquire these final circulating pennies and the first-ever gold cent. Demand is expected to be intense, especially with thousands of Lincoln cent specialists competing for only 232 sets.

Projected sale prices, according to dealer and market analysis, show why anticipation is soaring: Standard Sets (#2–231) are expected to achieve $15,000 to $30,000 each, with potential spikes to $40,000+.

The first-struck Set #1 should fetch between $40,000 and $75,000, with speculation that it could break six figures.

The last-struck Set #232 (with original dies) is currently attracting the most attention. Estimates range from $350,000 to $500,000+, with some predicting it could reach $750,000 — or even $1 million if institutional or museum buyers join the bidding.

Set #232 includes the three original dies used to strike the coins, making it the most important modern cent release since the legendary 1909-S VDB.

Credits: Coin renderings courtesy of the United States Mint. Background image by The Jeweler Blog using ChatGPT and DALL-E 3.

Miley Cyrus has officially confirmed her engagement to Max Morando, and jewelry enthusiasts are buzzing about the singer’s strikingly chunky east-west diamond ring. While fans may have missed it initially — Miley subtly showcased the piece in birthday photos posted to Instagram in late November — the engagement was publicly confirmed following her appearance on the red carpet at the Avatar: Fire and Ash premiere in early December. She also shared more about the ring during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.



The ring, custom-made by Los Angeles designer Jacquie Aiche, is a bold departure from traditional solitaire styles. At its center is a cushion-cut diamond, estimated between 3 and 5 carats, set in an east-west orientation. This horizontal setting gives the piece an architectural, modern flair, subtly turning the classic engagement ring silhouette on its side — literally. The diamond is enveloped in a chunky 14-karat yellow-gold band that widens at the top, creating a bombe-style bezel setting that is both sculptural and substantial.



The choice of a chunky yellow-gold band also aligns with a growing preference for rings that make a statement. Thick, sculptural bands are increasingly popular, particularly among celebrities, signaling a shift toward personalized, fashion-forward pieces rather than strictly traditional designs. Stars, such as Zendaya and Dua Lipa, have similarly embraced bold, non-traditional engagement rings, cementing this style as a leading trend. Jewelry-industry experts report that flush-set stones and east-west designs have been surging.

Even Miley herself commented on the ring’s distinctive style with her signature humor, joking to Fallon that it was a “Black Friday deal,” despite it being a serious, custom creation.

She acknowledged that the ring doesn't fit in with her usual whimsical jewelry — she typically favors gummy bear or unicorn rings — but she's been embracing her newest bauble as a reflection of her new life chapter with Morando.

Cyrus, 33, and Morando, 27, first met in 2022 on a blind date arranged through mutual friends. From the start, their connection was immediate, blending both personal chemistry and shared creative sensibilities.

Morando, a Los Angeles-based music producer, has built a reputation for his work in pop and contemporary music, collaborating with a range of artists on production, songwriting and mixing. While he and Cyrus are both deeply involved in the music industry, they have not formally worked together on any professional projects prior to their engagement.

Ultimately, Miley Cyrus’s diamond engagement ring is more than a piece of jewelry — it’s a bold statement. With its east-west diamond setting, chunky gold band, and modern design, it perfectly captures today’s most on-trend engagement ring style.

Credits: AI-generated conceptual rendering of Miley Cyrus's engagement ring by The Jeweler Blog using ChatGPT and DALL-E 3. Miley Cyrus photo by Raphael Pour-Hashemi, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Scientists have just revealed a sparkling new twist in the story of how diamonds make their extraordinary 90-mile journey from deep within the Earth to the surface. It's well known that these gems don’t travel alone — they hitch a ride inside a rare, gas-charged magma called kimberlite. Think of it as Earth’s own diamond delivery service… but one that only works if the recipe is mixed just right.



New modeling — highlighted this month by Earth.com based on research published in Geology — shows that kimberlite magma must contain at least 8.2% carbon dioxide, plus a good helping of water, to stay buoyant enough to rocket upward. Without that crucial dose of dissolved CO2, the magma becomes too dense, stalls deep underground, and the diamonds never see daylight.

Here’s the fun part: dissolved carbon dioxide and water act as secret “lift” ingredients. They make the magma lighter than the solid rock around it, allowing it to rise quickly — very quickly. Scientists say the ascent must happen within hours, not days, or the diamonds will begin to change back into graphite, the soft carbon form that’s stable at shallow depths. In other words, if the kimberlite elevator doesn’t whoosh upward fast enough, those precious crystals lose their sparkle before the ride even ends.

As the magma rises, its dissolved gases expand dramatically, creating explosive, champagne-like bursts that carve out deep volcanic pipes. These structures — called kimberlite pipes — are the primary source of the world’s mined diamonds. The new research, led by Ana Anzulović of the University of Oslo, found that only when kimberlite is richly loaded with CO2 and water can it power through the crust-mantle boundary, a geological “gatekeeper” that stops slower, denser magmas in their tracks.

If the volatile levels aren’t high enough? No eruption. No pipe. No diamonds. It’s a high-stakes recipe where even a small mismeasure means the gems remain hidden forever.

But when the chemistry is perfect, kimberlite becomes the ultimate express elevator — lifting diamonds from 90 miles down and delivering them, intact and sparkling, to the surface in explosive style.

Credit: Russia's Mir mine in Mirny, Yakutia. Photo by Staselnik, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Welcome to Music Friday when we spotlight songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, we revisit one of the greatest narrative songs of the 1970s — “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” by the Looking Glass. The 1972 chart-topper is packed with evocative imagery, lyrical storytelling and, most importantly for us, jewelry symbolism that turns a simple silver locket into the emotional centerpiece of the song.



Frontman and songwriter Elliot Lurie sings, “Brandy wears a braided chain / Made of finest silver from the North of Spain / A locket that bears the name / Of the man that Brandy loved.”

Those four lines alone make “Brandy” a Music Friday classic. The braided chain, the Spanish silver, the engraved locket — all serve as tangible reminders of a sailor who stole Brandy’s heart, even though the sea ultimately claimed his.

For years, fans debated whether “Brandy” might be rooted in real history. A popular theory tied the song to the legend of Mary Ellis, an 18th-century New Jersey woman who famously fell in love with a sea captain. Sadly for Ellis, the captain never returned because his "life, lover and lady" was the sea. The coincidence that Mary Ellis’s grave rests just two miles from Rutgers University — and that the Looking Glass formed at Rutgers in 1969 — only fueled that romantic speculation.

But as Lurie has patiently explained over the years, the Mary Ellis connection is only a myth. And in a delightful 2024 YouTube interview with Meredith Marx, he finally put the theories to rest, sharing the real origin of “Brandy.”

According to Lurie, the fictional Brandy was originally named Randy, his high school girlfriend. But as he began shaping the story, the name didn’t feel right. “The girl's name can’t be Randy,” he told Marx. “First of all, that’s ambiguous — it could be a boy or a girl. And if she’s a barmaid, she should be Brandy.” And just like that, Randy became Brandy, and a pop-rock classic was born.

The line about the silver chain from “the North of Spain” has also intrigued listeners for decades. While many assumed it was simply poetic flair, historians confirm that northern Spain did, in fact, produce significant quantities of fine silver, with the Iberian Peninsula serving as a major source of the metal since antiquity. That means the lyric is not only lovely — it’s surprisingly accurate.

Released as a B-side to “Don’t It Make You Feel Good,” “Brandy” might have disappeared into obscurity if not for WPGC program director Harv Moore in Washington, D.C., who flipped the record and gave the song heavy airplay. Within hours, the station’s phone lines were overwhelmed. Within weeks, “Brandy” was climbing the charts. And soon it became a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, forever anchoring the Looking Glass in pop-music history.

More than 50 years later, Lurie — now 77 years old — continues to perform. Recent shows have taken him to Monroe, NC; Ledyard, CT; and San Diego, CA, with upcoming dates scheduled in New Jersey, Delaware and beyond. After years working as a film and television music supervisor on projects such as Alien 3, A Night at the Roxbury and Spanglish, Lurie has returned to the stage, where he now performs alongside yacht-rock and classic-rock lineups. His voice, like Brandy’s silver chain, remains polished by time.

Be sure to check out the video of the Looking Glass performing “Brandy.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)”
Written by Elliot Lurie. Performed by The Looking Glass.

There’s a port on a western bay
And it serves a hundred ships a day
Lonely sailors pass the time away
And talk about their homes

And there’s a girl in this harbor town
And she works layin’ whiskey down
They say, Brandy, fetch another round
She serves them whiskey and wine

The sailors say, “Brandy, you’re a fine girl” (you’re a fine girl)
“What a good wife you would be” (such a fine girl)
“Yeah, your eyes could steal a sailor from the sea”

Brandy wears a braided chain
Made of finest silver from the North of Spain
A locket that bears the name
Of the man that Brandy loved

He came on a summer’s day
Bringin’ gifts from far away
But he made it clear he couldn’t stay
No harbor was his home

The sailors say, “Brandy, you’re a fine girl” (you’re a fine girl)
“What a good wife you would be” (such a fine girl)
“But my life, my lover and my lady is the sea”

Yeah, Brandy used to watch his eyes
When he told his sailor stories
She could feel the ocean fall and rise
She saw its ragin’ glory
But he had always told the truth, Lord, he was an honest man
And Brandy does her best to understand

At night when the bars close down
Brandy walks through a silent town
And loves a man who’s not around
She still can hear him say

She hears him say, “Brandy, you’re a fine girl” (you’re a fine girl)
“What a good wife you would be” (such a fine girl)
“But my life, my lover and my lady is the sea”
It is, yes it is,
“Brandy, you’re a fine girl” (you’re a fine girl)
“What a good wife you would be” (such a fine girl)
“But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea”



Credit: Screen capture via YouTube/CandidDirector.

A rare moment in the world of high jewelry electrified Christie’s London on Tuesday, when Fabergé’s 1913 Imperial Winter Egg achieved a staggering £22.9 million ($30.2 million) — setting a new world auction record for any Fabergé object. The dazzling result followed an intense three-minute bidding war that had collectors in the room and on the phones vying for one of the most celebrated Imperial Easter Eggs ever created.



Bidding opened at £17 million before vaulting upward in rapid increments. Multiple international bidders remained engaged as the price hit £19 million, prompting a brief but breathless pause. Then, a final flurry of competing bids culminated in a decisive £19.5 million offer from a collector seated in the saleroom. With the premium and fees, the price rose to £22.9 million. Christie’s confirmed that the successful buyer has elected to remain anonymous.

“This result sets a new world auction record for a work by Fabergé,” said Margo Oganesian, head of Christie’s Fabergé and Russian Works of Art. “It reaffirms the rarity, brilliance and enduring cultural significance of this masterpiece.”



The Imperial Winter Egg is widely regarded as Fabergé’s most artistically original creation. Commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II as an Easter gift for his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, the 1913 piece channels the ethereal fragility of a Russian winter.

Its design was conceived by Alma Theresia Pihl, one of the only female designers to work in Fabergé’s St. Petersburg workshops — and today recognized as one of the firm’s most innovative artists. Only 25 at the time, Pihl was inspired by frost patterns crystallizing across her workshop window. She translated these fleeting ice formations into a jewel-encrusted language of snowflakes and shimmer that still feels modern more than a century later.



Carved from rock crystal as thin and clear as glass, the egg is overlaid with 4,500 rose-cut diamonds set in platinum. It rests on a sculpted rock-crystal base that resembles a melting block of ice, its surface streaked with diamond-set rivulets that suggest spring’s first thaw. Inside lies the signature Fabergé “surprise”: a delicate basket of white quartz anemones, complete with demantoid garnet pistils and nephrite leaves.

Between 1885 and 1916, the House of Fabergé produced only 50 Imperial Easter Eggs for the Russian royal family. Today, just seven remain in private hands. Most are owned by museums, national collections or are missing entirely — a reality that makes any auction appearance of an Imperial Egg an event of global interest.

The 1913 Winter Egg has appeared at auction only twice before, and always at Christie’s. In 1994, it sold in Geneva for 7.3 million Swiss francs (about $9 million). In 2002, it broke its own record when it earned $9.6 million in New York. With this year’s landmark £22.9 million ($30.2 million) result, the egg has once again reset the Fabergé market.

Credits: Images courtesy of Christie’s Images Ltd 2025.

Visitors to Rockefeller Plaza will see a renewed holiday glow this year as the famous Prometheus statue — often billed as the fourth-most recognizable statue in the US and the most photographed artwork in New York City — has just emerged from an extensive regilding. The restoration, completed in time for the 2025 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony tonight (Dec. 3), returned the 18-foot, 8-ton bronze figure to its original brilliance using 23.75-karat gold leaf.



Hidden for weeks behind a massive dropcloth, Prometheus received what Marc Roussel, principal conservator on the project, described in The New York Times as “a lot of work” — and not merely a touch-up. The team from New York-based Roussel Art Conservation first stripped away the statue’s weathered coating, revealing the raw bronze beneath. They then brushed on a yellow-tinted epoxy primer that cures overnight. Only then did the delicate gilding begin: an astonishing 20,000 sheets of gold leaf, each just 0.0002 inches thick, applied meticulously by hand. Working section by section, gilders followed a subtle grid pattern to avoid a patchwork effect.

“You’re not just taking a leaf and putting it anywhere,” principal gilder Bill Gauthier explained to The Times.

After each panel was completed, the team gently buffed the surface with lamb’s-wool cloths dipped in ice water — an ancient technique that coaxes the whisper-thin sheets to adhere cleanly without tearing or dulling the finish. Amazingly, 20,000 sheets of gold leaf weigh less than a pound. At recent market prices, the gold value is approximately $60,000.



Prometheus has undergone several regildings during his 91-year tenure at Rockefeller Center, but the statue’s backstory is as fascinating as its modern upkeep. Created by sculptor Paul Manship and unveiled in 1934, the work depicts the Greek Titan who stole fire for humanity — a symbol that resonated with the Center’s guiding theme of “New Frontiers and the March of Civilization.” John D. Rockefeller Jr., reportedly dissatisfied with the original bronze patina, insisted on gilding to emphasize the figure’s dramatic motion.

The model who helped inspire that motion wasn’t an artist, dancer or actor, but a young New Rochelle lifeguard named Leonardo Nole. As reported by Talk of the Sound and recounted in Nole’s later writings, the 26-year-old was paid $1 an hour to hold a challenging, airborne pose for months — though he claimed he mostly worked with Manship’s assistants.

Encircled with zodiac signs and inscribed with the ancient Greek text “Prometheus, teacher in every art, brought fire to mankind,” the gilded Titan continues to embody human creativity, knowledge and aspiration.

According to nbc.com, Prometheus at Rockefeller Center is regarded as the fourth most recognizable statue in the United States after the Statue of Liberty, Lincoln Memorial and Mount Rushmore.

With his radiant new finish unveiled for the 2025 holiday season, Prometheus once again lights the way — both metaphorically and, now, more brilliantly — over Rockefeller Plaza’s iconic rink.

Credits: Close-up photo by Michael Slonecker, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Night shot by Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

For thousands of years before diamonds or emeralds dazzled Europe, one of the most prized gemstones was a vivid green mineral called variscite. Ancient communities treasured it for its luminous color and carved it into beads, pendants, bracelets and rings. But while archaeologists have long uncovered variscite jewelry across Western Europe, one question remained stubbornly difficult to answer: Where did these eye-catching green stones actually come from, and how did they travel so far from their points of origin?



A team of archaeologists and artificial-intelligence specialists from Spain and Portugal has now brought modern technology to this ancient mystery. Their newly published study combines traditional fieldwork with advanced chemical analysis and machine-learning tools to trace variscite artifacts back to their geological sources. The result is a clearer picture of prehistoric trade networks — and an unexpected story of how these green gems moved across Europe thousands of years ago.



Variscite, whose vibrant green color can range from pale mint and seafoam to deeper emerald hues, is naturally rare and was especially valued between the sixth and second millennia BC. Its color made it a symbol of status and personal adornment. Until recently, researchers could only make educated guesses about where a particular bead or pendant had originated. Mines in Encinasola, Gavà, and Aliste on the Iberian Peninsula were all considered likely sources, but the relative importance of each site was unclear.

The new research changes that. The team began by gathering more than 1,800 geological samples from known variscite deposits and comparing them with 571 artifacts recovered from archaeological sites across modern-day Spain and beyond. Each sample was analyzed using portable X-ray fluorescence, a non-destructive technique that measures the tiny chemical variations locked inside the stone.

These chemical fingerprints — slight differences in elements such as aluminum, phosphorus, and trace minerals — turn out to be unique enough to identify the mine of origin. But because the dataset was so large, the researchers used a machine-learning method called a random forest algorithm to find patterns no human could easily spot.

In simple terms, the AI learns the “signature” of each mine and then predicts where an ancient bead came from. The system achieved 95% accuracy, a remarkable level of precision for artifacts thousands of years old.

With the origins finally mapped, a new trade picture emerged. The study shows that the Gavà and Aliste mines were far more important than previously believed, while Encinasola played a smaller role. Even more surprising, variscite beads found in northern France likely traveled overland from northern Spain, crossing the Pyrenees along long-distance routes. Earlier theories had emphasized maritime trade, but the AI-driven analysis suggests that land-based exchange networks were significant and highly organized.

The project’s open-science framework — making all data and code freely available — sets the stage for future work. Researchers hope to apply the same approach to other materials, from amber to early metals, building a richer understanding of how beauty, craftsmanship and commerce shaped prehistoric societies.

And while the ancestors who wore variscite couldn’t have imagined artificial intelligence, their cherished green gemstones are now helping scientists tell a very modern story: how technology can illuminate the human connections of the distant past.

Credits: Photo of Smithsonian specimen by Jstuby at en.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Photo of gold and variscite 2nd century AD earrings by Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.