Oak Island Uncovers 1700s French Gemstone — Possible Link to the Duc d’Anville Treasure
The Curse of Oak Island: Hidden Wood, a Gemstone Discovery, and Clues to the Duc d’Anville Mystery
Secrets Beneath the Swamp
In the northern region of Oak Island’s triangle-shaped swamp, Rick Lagina, his nephew Alex, and the team have returned to one of the most mysterious dig sites on the island — a place that continues to reveal signs of deep, purposeful human activity.
As Billy Gerhardt’s excavator claws through thick layers of earth, something unusual catches Alex’s eye.
“Wait, wait, wait—what’s that?”
Billy leans down and pulls up a piece of shaped wood, perfectly cut and buried roughly three feet below the surface.
Rick inspects it carefully. “That’s definitely worth keeping,” he says. “Stylistically, Laird might be able to date it.”
The artifact’s placement is what shocks the team most. It lies far deeper than typical swamp debris, suggesting it may have been part of a submerged structure — possibly even linked to the vault-like feature they recently uncovered nearby.
“This is quite deep for something like that,” Rick notes. “It’s suggestive of multiple treasure caches. The boards didn’t get there on their own.”
For the Laginas, it’s another reminder that someone worked in the swamp — centuries ago — for a purpose. And as Rick adds, “Hopefully this time, we’ll find answers, not just questions.”
A Hidden Entrance on Lot 5
Meanwhile, on Lot 5, archaeologist Fiona Steele, her assistant Todd Langseth, and team member Jack Begley are investigating a round stone foundation near the shoreline.
Their goal: determine if the structure once served as an entranceway or hidden chamber.
“The whole point of this test pit,” Fiona explains, “is to see if there’s an opening. There’s a gap in the rocks — and this is the one area where we found Money Pit soil.”
Over the past two years, the Lot 5 dig has revealed mortar samples identical to those from over 100 feet deep in the Money Pit, along with coins and artifacts dated between the 14th and 18th centuries.
As they continue, Fiona spots something metallic.
“Oh, look at that. I think it’s a hinge piece.”
The team quickly realizes it’s a small, triangular hinge, perhaps from a box or chest rather than a door. “That’s exactly what we’re looking for,” Jack says, bagging the find.
But moments later, an even more remarkable discovery emerges — a small, glittering gem-like object hidden among the rocks.
“Wow! Is that a diamond?” Todd asks, holding it up to the sunlight.
Fiona studies it closely. “It sure looks like it — or at least cut glass,” she says. “Look at the star pattern on the back.”
Jack can barely contain his excitement. “That’s a piece of treasure, Todd — a real dazzler.”
Back in the Lab: A Gem from the 1700s
The following morning, Rick, Marty, and Alex Lagina gather with archaeologist Laird Niven and archaeometallurgist Emma Culligan to analyze the “glass jewel” from Lot 5.
Emma’s findings are stunning.
“It’s a really high content of lead,” she explains. “That level of purity and control isn’t found in modern glass. It’s something special.”
Laird confirms what Emma suspects. “It’s what we call paste — flint glass mixed with lead, pressed into molds to imitate gemstones. This would have originated in France in the early 1700s.”
Emma adds, “Specifically around 1734, when jeweler Georg Friedrich Strass invented simulated diamonds. This type of crystal was worn by French high society.”
Marty leans back, connecting the dots. “That puts us right in the timeframe of the duc d’Anville expedition,” he says — referencing the ill-fated 1746 French naval mission rumored to have carried treasure to Nova Scotia.
“Somebody of importance and wealth was on Lot 5,” Marty concludes. “Maybe overseeing an operation… maybe even connected to the Money Pit itself.”
Linking Lot 5 to the Money Pit
The implications are enormous. The mortar samples on Lot 5 match those deep in the Money Pit, suggesting both sites were active at the same time. The 18th-century French gemstone adds a layer of intrigue — could Lot 5 have served as a staging area for an operation to bury or recover valuables?
Laird, who has excavated across Nova Scotia, admits he’s never found anything like it. “This is the first artifact of its kind I’ve ever seen here,” he says.
Rick nods. “That underscores it — somebody of wealth and power was here. The question is, what were they doing?”
The team agrees the next step is to expand the search on Lot 5 and in the swamp, hoping to find more artifacts — “the brothers and sisters,” as Marty puts it — of the glittering French gem.
The Treasure Trail Widens
From the shaped wood buried deep in the swamp to the glass gemstone on Lot 5, each discovery points to a much broader story — one that spans continents and centuries.
Were the French explorers of the 1700s connected to the original Money Pit builders? Could the duc d’Anville’s lost expedition have hidden its riches on Oak Island before disaster struck?
For now, the answers remain buried beneath layers of history, mud, and mystery.
But as Rick Lagina says with a smile, “On Oak Island, you just keep digging — because every clue leads to the next.”
