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PETOSKEY STONES FOR SALE
What Is A Petoskey Stone?
Petoskey stones are polished, fossilized coral of the species Hexagonaria percarinata. Hexagonaria is a genus of rugose (corrugated) coral that lived during the Middle Devonian period, about 350 million years ago. During the Devonian period, what is now Michigan was underwater. This area was a rather warm, shallow sea that harbored a reef-like environment, premium living conditions for colonial corals like rugose coral.
How Do Petoskey Stones Form?
Like the fossilization process of other corals, Petoskey stones formed when coral polyps and their openings filled with sand and silt as they petrified. Over time, soft tissues decayed and the calcium carbonate “skeleton” of the colony was replaced by silica, calcite, and other various minerals, forming a fossil. The rocks containing this fossil coral were exposed and broken up into smaller pieces by glaciation. These fragments of fossil coral were subsequently rounded and polished by both glaciers and waves on the lake shores.
Where Are Petoskey Stones Found?
The fossil coral that forms Petoskey stones is found in the Gravel Point Formation, which is part of the Traverse Group. This formation extends throughout much of northwestern Michigan, and Petoskey stones can be found on beaches and in gravel pits throughout this region. They are particularly common along the beaches stretching from Traverse City to Petoskey on Lake Michigan. The movement of frozen lake ice during the winter helps to turn stones over on the shore of Lake Michigan, exposing new Petoskey stones at the water’s edge each spring.
If you want to look for your own Petoskey stones, here is a good guide to where to look.
Where Do Petoskey Stones Get Their Name?
Petoskey stones get their name from the Odawa chief Chief Petosegay. Petosegay was a descendant of a French fur trader and an Odawa chief's daughter. The city of Petoskey, Michigan, where the stones are commonly found on beaches, is also named after the chief.