Isle Royale Greenstones, Thomsonite, Datolite, Lake Superior Agates, Petoskey Stones, Pudding Stones, Kona Dolomite, Copper Agates, and Silver/Copper Nuggets (aka Half-breeds), have always been the base for our business.
The popularity of Thomsonte has been on the upswing. Most of the goos Thomsonte comes from secret spots on the North Shore of Lake Superior. There’s something about this beautiful, pastel pink, Zeolite, that people love.
Our main products consist of Great Lakes Rocks & Minerals. Some of these core stones have been found by us, Others were purchased from collectors in the Great Lakes Region. I will publish this blog in two parts. I have loads of pictures to show you and will share images of some of our most popular jewelry gemstones. The second part will be jewelry made from those Great Lakes gemstones.
Michigan’s Official State Gemstone may be out most popular, and most rare of anything we sell. Greenstones are found nowhere else in the world; only on Isle Royale and on the old spoil piles of some of the copper mines in the Keweenaw Peninsula.Copper Agates are found in some of the mine spoil piles in the Keargarge Lode. They are very coveted, and hard to find.
Our pride in Michigan, and the Gemstones found there, reflects in our jewelry. We have many happy customers, that return again and again to purchase more pieces of jewelry to add to their collections, or to give as treasured gifts.
Unakite (top) is a Granite comprised of Pink Feldspar, Epidote, and Quartz. It is commonly found on the Lake Superior Beaches. I personally think it makes wonderful jewelry. On the bottom is Mohawkite from several Mines near Mohawk, Michigan. Some people love it, but we that cut it, must be careful because of the Arsenides in it. It is safe to wear, as we seal it with a two part industrial epoxy.Datolite is another Copper-associated rock. Where you see Datolite, there is usually copper in the neighborhood. Copper often permeates into the Datolite, causing the Datolite to have a pink tinge. Sometimes you can see the Copper in the stone, as you do here. The above Datolite also contains Green Epidote.
Orders come from all over the country. We wonder and are often awestruck at how people, in Utah or California for example, know about Isle Royale Greenstones or Copper Agates. Sometimes we have the chance to ask them where they heard of Petoskey Stones or Datolite, and more often than not, they have some connection to Michigan. They may have hunted the rockpiles in the Keweenaw, or the beaches of Lake Michigan. Their family has roots in Michigan, or they attended Michigan Tech in Houghton (Go Huskies!). At times they may have found a piece of jewelry at Copper World in Calumet, or bought something from us at an art show in Eagle Harbor or Copper Harbor. Customers can have Nostalgic memories of hunting the beaches with their families in the U.P. for rock treasures.
Sure evidence that Greenstones and copper can be found together in many copper mines. This little gem is a lucky strike for sure, a rare find!
Nostalgia often is associated with the custom jewelry pieces we make. People send stones they have found, saying things like “I’ve been looking for someone, for years, that can make a piece of jewelry from a Laker (or other rock) that I found while with my Grandpa decades ago on the shores of the Lake Superior or Lake Michigan”. “YES; I can do this for you; What did you have in mind”?
Copper Firebrick was formed when the bricks used for construction of Copper smelters, got permiated with Copper Vapors and molten Copper. The Datolite was a lucky cut, with an interior in the form of the Lower Peninsula.
Petoskey Stone is Michigan’s Official State Stone. We make many things from this, and other Devonian Fossils. Cladapora is the other fossil seen in this picture.
Our website contains well over a thousand unique pieces of jewelry. We’re proud to individually make each piece. We do not have cheap “Buy-sell” things made in foreign countries. We are a locally owned Michigan small business, proudly sharing our handcrafted Great Lakes stone jewelry with people across the country.
Have fun looking at our core Great Lakes treasures. If you see something you like, call or E-mail us. If you have an idea for a custom wire wrap, or beaded treasure, get ahold of us.
Every Christmas the question is; “What should I make for Bonnie?” Bonnie is my bride of 44 years. She already has her choice of thousands of Pendants, and hundreds of beaded treasures she makes for her Etsy site. I have to start thinking way ahead, when it comes to a special Christmas gift for the jewelry maker’s wife.
While cutting, from my large selection of rocks and minerals, I will usually discover a very special piece of material (or several), worthy for a Lapidary Artist’s wife to wear.
Bonnie enjoys wearing simple, yet elegant, pendants; not too showy, but noticeable, none the less. She has a massive collection of “jewelry shirts”. These shirts are usually solid colors that can show off a Pendant, or a set of beads with a wide variety of colors and patterns.
Luck was involved in cutting a Petoskey Stone and finding beautiful, dark eyes. This Petoskey Stone spoke to me, and demanded to be Bonnie’s Christmas Gift.
This past summer’s shop work first produced a very special Petoskey Stone cabochon. Sometimes Michigan’s State Stone is surprising in its multiple variety of colorations, patterns, and uniqueness. The quality of a Petoskey Stone is very subjective, but in general high quality Petoskey Stones are mud free, solid, with a clear patterns.
The primary thing I look for in a fine Petoskey Stone is clarity of pattern. It is not very common to find a solid Petoskey Stone, showing perfectly clear patterns within all the individual Polyps. In most cases the “eyes” of the Polyps, (that are actually mouths), are filled with mud to some extent. This mud can seldom be removed. I usually do not use Muddy Petoskey Stones, but in the case of this stone the “mud” was a good thing, and added some character to a stone. It was a case where Black mud is good.
In the Petoskey Stone I chose for Bonnie’s Pendant; the mouths were filled with Petroleum-rich material, making them almost solid black, BUT the rest of the fossil displayed beautiful, perfectly clear Calcification. The black “Eyes” were so striking; so stunning; that I immediately knew I had the start of a spectacular piece of jewelry. I imagined one of the little Polyps talking to its neighbor; “Hey Harry, you should try some of this grease, it’s really tasty”.
The darkness of a Petoskey Stone, is indicative of the percentage of Petroleum that permeated into the Petoskey Stone during Calcification. Darker Petoskey Stone exude a strong petroleum odor when they are cut. The odor this stone emitted was strong in its a petroleum scent. Petroleum-rich, dark Petoskey Stones also take a better polish than light colored Petoskey Stones, simply because of this petroleum content. This cabochon took an excellent glass-like finish.. OK, I hid this stone from prying eyes for a few months. Hiding any stone in my shop is a dangerous proposition. Fortunately, I was lucid enough to keep track of it for a few months.
Isle Royale greenstones were tumble polished and drilled for the top of Bonnie’s Pendant.
Do I just want to wrap a Petoskey Stone and call it good? NO WAY! A jewelry showpiece, for a special lady, needs more bling than that. Michigan’s State Stone (the Petoskey Stone) needed to be accompanied by Michigan’s State Gemstone (The Isle Royal Greenstone). Several Greenstone, from a decades old collection actually from Isle Royale, were polished and drilled for the top of this pendant. I make them on a bead drilling machine. I admit, drilling Greenstones is a bit extravagant.
The bottom segment of Bonnie’s Christmas Pendant involved Drilling Datolite Beads (from one of the Isle Royale Mines behind the Houghton Walmart) and Unakite beads, (made from Lake Superior beach material) were also added to the pendant mix. I just kept piling on the goodness.
Common white Datolite explodes into something else, when Copper is stirred into the mix. added a pair of Datolite Beads and a pair of Unakite Beads dressed the top of the bottom segment of Bonnie’s pendant.
The last stone added was a Copper rich Datolite. It was a gorgeous white Datolite with lightning-like streaks of Copper exploding within the Gemstone. Like the Petoskey Stone, this special Datolite told me it wanted to be part of this project. The Datolite was shaped to add as a second component to the Pendant. Bonnie is very fond of copper in her Datolite. The Lightning Datolite swings freely from the bottom of the Petoskey Stone. This configuration is one of my signature features in many of my pendants.
My choice of gold and silver wire allows this pendant to be worn with any color chain or cord.
Here is the finished pendant. You can make your own judgment, but I think it is pretty nice.
Isle Royale Greenstones are already beach tumbled. Normally I grab a few hundred and after flattening the backs, they’re ready for dopping.
The blog pictures may be a bit out of the order they were accomplished, but you’ll get the idea by reading the text under each picture.
After the finish polish, my Greenstones are sorted into trays according to size and coloration.A handful of awesomenessMy dop sticks of choice are brass rivets.A typical, beach tumbled, Isle Royale GreenstoneOne of these was finished from the above beach tumbled Greenstone. Both stones are ready for Turtles of other jewelry.One of my favorites are “Picture Frame” pendants. This one is Top to Bottom: Lake Superior Agate, Isle Royale Greenstone w/ Thomsonite, and Datolite from the Isle Royal Mine near Houghton.Sometimes Greenstones wil be hollow (not good), but on rare occasions the viugs may contain some copper of Crystals (VERY GOOD).A Drumline of Turtles near completion.My turtles have Jade undersides. Not that is a bit extravagant! Pendants made with Islae Royale Greenstones are our best seller.A finished Turtle pendant.. I’ve assigned them names: This one is “Rocco”.This was the very first Turtle Pendant I made as a Christmas gift for my buddy;s awesome wife.
TURTLES
Let’s talk about one of the most challenging Pendant projects I’ve ever finished; TURTLES!.
I have actually been thinking about this for a few years, but realizing how much time, materials, and troubles it would be, I’ve put it off. Admittedly I took the cowards way out—it seemed I always had something that was more important to do! I needed to get my Mojo back.
My goal this year was to create what was a roadblock in my brain. Here is the idea. Michigan’s Official State Stone is the Petoskey Stone, and the State Gemstone is the ultra rare Isle Royale Greenstone. We live in NW Michigan where, if you know where to look, nice Petoskey Stones can be harvested.
Petoskey Stones are sometimes referred to as “Turtle Backs” because they resemble turtle shells. Isle Royal Greenstones are said to have an “Alligator Pattern”. Greenstone, if they have a nice pattern, also look like turtle appendages. What if I could combine these two beautiful Michigan stones and made a turtle pendant?
One of the major problems is matching Greenstone patterns so the turtle appendages have a cohesive look.
Recently I manufactured a set of these pendants which were challenging in many ways.
Each turtle required five greenstones that closely matched in size, pattern, and color. This required cutting and polish around hundreds of greenstones, which has taken place over several years. Most of the greenstones used in this project are from an Isle Royale Greenstone collection that I purchased several years ago. These are even more rare than Keweenaw Greenstones. Picking greenstones on Isle Royale is against National park policy. Decades ago authorities on the island were not that particular about guests picking us a few greenstones. Today rangers are quite strict about the regulations regarding picking up rocks and minerals in the national park.
After cutting and polishing all these small stones. Cutting small stones involves gluing them on dop sticks or holding them in your finger with the risk of scuffing your finger tips. Foolishly and unnecessarily I chose the bleeding option many times. Separating them off the dop sticks, pouring out on a table, sorting for size, shape, and color, and finally choosing stones that might be used together for turtles were some of the steps taken over time. Some had to go back for shaping so they could pass muster as heads or tails. Many of the greenstones are up to 10mm in size which makes them large for greenstones. The appendages are all nice enough they could have been used for feature stones in jewelry such as rings or necklaces.
The Petoskey Stones are found by us in several secret locations in northwest lower Michigan, but rarely from beaches. They were sorted 2-3 times for top quality nicely patterned for the turtle backs. They were cut and shaped, mounded in ovals, and polished to a glass-like finish.
The next problem was how to attach the appendages to the turtle; how was I going to join the Petoskey stones and the Greenstones? I looked for a material that could be a backer. What material could be thin enough and strong enough to do this? Jade is strong and tough, often used for guitar picks, so it is strong even when thin. The Petoskey stones and Greenstones were glued onto green jade wafers using a strong 2 part epoxy.
Cutting the turtles requires special lapidary tools and a careful touch. Believe me when I tell you that this procedure was challenging, complicated, and time consuming.
After cutting the turtles out, I developed a procedure for wire wrapping them, which hides the wires behind the turtle. When the turtles hand on a chain, you do not see the bail, or most of the wire wrapping, allowing for no distraction from the beauty of the the Patterns of the Petoskey stone and Greenstones.
It took me months of thought and work to create these pendants.
I cut out a dozen turtles, and posted them on Facebook, receiving over 2,600 likes. It seemed everyone wanted a turtle, but not everyone realized what these turtles might cost.
People wanted them for desk ornaments, or to add to their turtle collections. I think for a turtle collector, this may work, but for someone that wants to put a turtle comprised of sizable Isle Royale Greenstones and Jade just our on a deck; not so good. I would sell these without a bail on the back, but they are designed for wearing.
The first turtle release will be six pendants as Christmas gifts, and perhaps more of the dozen I’ve made, depending on popularity. The scarcity of Gem-Quality Greenstones will severely limit my product every year.
Making Turtles from Greenstones that otherwise could be rings or necklaces is somewhat frivolice, and from a business standpoint, perhaps not wise; but so be it.
Some meticulous wire artistry enhanced beautiful Keweenaw treasures.
2020 brought many challenges to all of us. For me, self-isolation brought the opportunity to focus on my craft; with more time to create some special pendants. Jewelry making takes my mind off these trying times. I always try to improve my work, even though, people say, I’m a fairly skillful and competent wire artist.
Recently a “major” pendant was created from a combination of inspiration, a dream, and the need for a challenge. If a piece of jewelry takes me several hours of total focus (with coffee breaks), over three days, that’s a “Major” pendant.
Can I pull this off? Until a multi-piece pendant is created, the answer is “Maybe”. When the project turns out as you envision it, or better in this case, I feel satisfied and worthy. I know all the mind-challenging work was worth the effort. Bonnie knows when I am in “the zone” I am so totally focused, everything except the piece of art is blacked out. The Zone was active on this work of art, for sure. She does not come near me when I’m in “the Zone”, but she knows something good will result.
Deciding on Color and Shape
Let us talk about the procedure end result, shall we? Four totally different Keweenaw rocks and Minerals were chosen for their coloration. PINK was my choice; so every piece was associated with the color pink. In my mind was projected a three-piece pendant with amazing colors, textures, and shapes; eligant in detail.
The top stone selected was a banded Lake Superior Agate, with beautiful pink waves of banding, some shadow effect. In some Lakers the banding is very fine and the bands are close together. When you move these agates in the sun or in bright light, the shadow of one band is cast on the adjacent band. Since there are many bands casting their shadows on their adjacent bands, you get a shadow effect. The agate in the pendant has some “Shadow” for sure. Lake Superior Agates, as many of you know, are my favorite Gemstones. I cut a lot of “Lakers”, but not often one with so much rich class. It just screamed for attention, and made the top tier.
The middle of the pendant is Firebrick. Firebrick formed from the Copper smelting operations in the Keweenaw. The smelters were made from brick when they were built. Over the years Copper vapors and molten copper permiated into the brick walls of the smelter and replaced all the material in the bricks except the Quartz/Silica. That is why you see small white specks in the Firebrick; the Quart resisted permeation.
The bottom stone is a stunning pink-hued Datolite from the Mesnard mine on the Quincy Hill in Handcock. The small Mesnard Datolite needed to step up in order to fight the bigger cabochons in the top. I added a pair of Isle Royale Greenstons with pink Thomsonite inclusions, making the Datolite more than equal to the other two cabochons up above it. My personal opinion (shared by others) is that there are only two true precious gemstones in Michigan, Isle Royale Greenston (Michigan’s Official State Gemstone), and Datolite.
The Michigan Quarter allows you to see the finisned size. I was very happy with my work.
The stones being selected instigated the shapes required. Datolite, Greenstone, and Lake Superior Agates can all be polished to a glass finish, but the Firebrick required a proprietary industrial Epoxy coating. This coating protcts the Firebrick from tarnishing, and adds a glass finish like the other two stones in the pendant.
Engineering the Pendant
Each of the three major parts of the pendant “swing” individually from the others. If all three were wrapped as one piece, they become very stiff and just don’t have that pizzazz required. The pendant will move with the wearer.
The top and the bottom stones are elegantly wrapped in double 14kt gold fill, while the Firebrick is enhanced by a double gold fill Pink Gold. The pink gold brings out the Copper in the Firebrick. Who says a piece of jewelry has to be one single type of precious metal?
Happy Results
YES
Now, several hours later, the results made me smile; Bonnie approved, and this Major art work was complete. I named this pendant KEWEENAW SPLENDOR
I’m hopeful some lucky person will find this one in their stocking.
Step 1 is finding the Greenstones of course. Past blogs have covered that subject. Step 2 is to tumble the stones and discard all the bad ones.
Overwhelmed with Greenstones
I’ve been trying to catch up on my Isle Royale Greenstone cutting. Isle Royale Greenstone (Chlorastrolite) is the Official State Gemstone of Michigan). This can get overwhelming. Unless you work with Greenstones, you have no idea what is involved, so let me walk you through the steps.
I never do fewer then 100 Greenstones. I flatten the backs and glue then to nailheads, screws, rivets, or whatever I have.
These Greenstones are awaiting the final three soft wheels, before final polish.
BIG BATCHES
I don’t cut Michigan Greenstones unless I am doing a big batch. Right now I’m working on 200, so I can produce a hundred new earring pairs. In order to find 200 good Greenstones involves going through at least 600 stones.
Add these earrings to my goal of 100 pendants, to be made over the winter, and you can see why I’m swamped.
There are Greenstones everywhere in various stages; on the table, in the shop, and in the kitchen. Fortunately Bonnie is patient and doesn’t carp much. We have not seen the top of the dining room table in a month, but it’s a necessary evil to getting these Greenstones fit for jewelry, or to sell to others for jewelry making.
Prepping Procedure
The procedure for prepping Greenstones involves tumbling the stones to take the Chlorite rind off. Tumbling destroys the weak stones, and brings out the pattern on the good ones. When they come out of the tumbler, I sort out the Greenstones with promise, and pitch the bad ones. The minimal grade Greenstones go into Grab Bags that we sell at our shows. The tumbling usually weeds out 2/3 of the stones.
Next I take the remaining stones and flatten the backs (the worst sides) to prepare for dopping. Most of these are small stones about half the size of a pea.
I glue the Greenstones to rivets or nail heads. Epoxy is faster for me, but you could use dop wax. The dopped stones are left overnight to dry. The stones are then taken to my shop and worked up on my Genie or Titan. This process can take some time to bring out the best in each stone. The stones go through all the soft wheels (Never use the hard wheels on GS). The hard wheels most often produce harmonic vibrations that can cause the stones to blow apart.
A before and after shot. You never know how fine a Greenstone is, until it’s finished. The bottom stone needs a little more work to remove some remaining flaws.
I Discard Many Substandard Stones
During this machine procedure I invariably discover some hollow stones. Other stones are not great or substandard. Again more are discarded.
Here’s a before and after shot of the same Greenstone. The second stone needs a little more work to get out remaining flaws.
At this point I must point out that Isle Royale Greenstones are one of the trickiest gemstones to cut. You must know exactly when to stop grinding at every stage. Some have very thin pattern layers, while others are good throughout the stone. You have to almost see, in your mind, if what you do will enhance the stone you are working on, or ruin it. You can only gain these answers through experience cutting loads of greenstones. I have cut many thousands in my day, so I have a “feel” for these beauties. There is never any answer that is always correct. Sadly, I admit to ruining many thousands of dollars worth of stones.
Taking my time is worth the effort
Taking the time to get it right, is the way I roll. These are calibrated ring stones for a jeweler customer.
Sometimes I am cutting a very fine Greenstone, that may be worth $500 or more, and that stone breaks through into a hollow area. I have sometimes cut right thru the pattern layer, thinking the pattern would get better. Stones have flown out of my hands and get broken or lost in the workshop Nexus. Recently Bonnie found one I remember losing long ago. She claims that is an advantage to cleaning up. I have learned from every mistake, and after making the same mistake several times, I often believe I have learned my lesson. Cutting Greenstones is not cheap. “OOPS, there went another hundred bucks”..
Bonnie’s New Pendant…NOT!
I had this sitting on the table. I told Bonnie it was laid out for a new pendant for her. NOT!
The stones get soaked in a solvent to get them off the dops after they are polished. This takes several hours, then I go through a quality control with the entire batch, and weed again (Do you see a pattern here?). Greenstones are an amazing amount of trouble and work, and being that they are generally small, makes it harder, not easier. No one should ever complaint about the price of a Greenstone. A really good one is so rare.
I am going to start making Greenstone beads in the near future; I’ll admit this is a bit over the top, but I just have to try it.
A pair of perfect Greenstone Cabochons.
Custom Greenstone Cutting
If you have a Greenstone that you want me to work on for you, there is a procedure. First I need clean pictures with something (like a dime) in the picture (preferably several pictures). Many people that have what they think is a Greenstone, have something else. Next, if we agree there is a good possibility of success, you send the stone for evaluation. This allows me to see if your stone is viable for cutting and polishing. Thirdly, I honestly tell you what I think.
If you OK with everything, I cut and polish ,with no guarantee of success. My odds of producing a good gem are around 90%. If you provide a good stone, you’ll get a good result. I can never assure anyone that there are no internal flaws, cracks, or voids in the stone. I wish I had Xray vision, but I do not. I address any customer stone as if it were my own.
Once we reach the cutting and polishing stage, my odds are around 90%. If the stone is flawed, you would not have wanted it anyway. Thus far, I have been close to perfect on customer’s custom cutting.
I know this blog has not been my norm, but I think being buried in Greenstones has somewhat effected my head. I’ve wanted to explain what it takes to get you a good piece of Greenstone Jewelry, so now you know some of it. Visit our Greenstone Cabochon pages for cut stones you can use in your own jewelry, or see our Greenstone Pendant pages and Greenstone Earring page for currently available jewelry. Oh; we have Tie Tacks also! Does anyone still wear them? (Or they can be ordered as pins.) Enjoy Michigan’s State Gem, a rare and special stone found nowhere else on earth.
Definitions: A Bill is a Legislative Proposal offered for debate before its enactment.
An Act is a Statute, law. or a decision by a Legislative Body.
An Enrolled House Bill is the final copy of a bill or joint resolution that has passed both houses of congress in identical form. An Enrolled House Bill is the document that is eventually signed by the Governor. This is important. I have seen online Posts identifying HB 2297 as the bill that made Petoskey Stones the State Stone of Michigan, but Act No. 89, Public Acts of 1965 is the Legal Authority that made the Petoskey Stone Michigan’s Official State Stone.
All the stones featured in this blog are, or contain Petoskey Stone. Color, Pattern, or Species make no difference. They are all our Official State Stone.
From my archives via an estate sale. This is a rare copy of the Endorsed bill that Gov. Romney signed into Act No. 89 on June 28, 1965
History of Legislation
In 1965 a bill was authored by Representatives- Eugene R. Cater-Ludington and Stanley Powell-Ionia (that being HB2297). This bill was to make the PETOSKEY STONE the official State Stone of Michigan. The legislature passed rapidly through to the Governor’s desk. Act No. 89, of Public Acts of 1965 was signed by Governor Romney on June 28, 1965. This Act made the Petoskey Stone Michigan’s Official State Stone. The Act simply states that the PETOSKEY STONE is the Official State Stone of Michigan. There was no mention of one specific species of Hexagonaria being Michigan’s State Stone. In 1965 there were at least 7 recognized species of Hexagonaria. Now there at at least 9 recognized types of Hexagonaria. By making Act No. 89 general in nature, the Act still applies to newly identified species. There have never been any amendments to Act No. 89, according to State Archives.
This Petoskey Stone is soon to be a pendant
Prior to retirement, I enforced State Laws for 40 years. I have been involved with writing legislation and testifying before a State committee on a couple proposed Bills, helping write one of them. I’m well versed in how the government works, and how Acts and laws are passed. You cannot read into State Legislation what is not there, and this seems to be the case with Act No. 89, PA 1965, where various people; a lot of people; have added information that is not present in the law or Act itself.
Red Matrix over Petoskey StoneYellow Petoskey Stone with a hint of pink, both caused by Iron Staining. The Pink was iron that got into the calcite as the Petoskey Stone Calcified. The yellow was Iron stains at a later date.
Some Things About the Author
I admit that even though I have hunted thousands of pounds of Petoskey Stones over 50 years or so, and sold thousands of pounds of them, I am still not good enough to identify specific species of them. I can pretty much ID a Hexagonaria percarinata because it’s the most common Petoskey Stone I find, and Hexagonaria anna because it’s very large, but the other Hexagonaria usually stump me. To me, as with most, finding a Petoskey Stone is good enough. An article I co-wrote with Dr. George Robinson in Rocks and Minerals (May/June 2013, Vol 88, No. 3) introduced Pink Petoskey Stones to the world. A pink Petoskey that I found and donated to the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum is now on display in their Michigan Fossil Case.
This is the beautiful palm-sized Pink Petoskey that I found and donated to the Seaman Mineral Museum, and now resides in their Michigan Fossil case.Matrix present, but still a Petoskey Stone.
AboutPetoskey Stones
Some think a Hexgonaria does not become a Petoskey Stone until it has been polished, but commonly the rough waterwashed stones are called Petoskey Stones. The intent of Act 89 was clearly to include the stones people find in random Michigan locations. Some refer to Hexagonaria from other states and localities around the world, as Petoskey Stone. Very simply, the Act NEVER mentions that a particular species of Hexagonaria was the Official State Stone. The bill simply states that the Petoskey Stone is Michigan’s Official State Stone. Most people liked the general nature of Act 89. If you found a Petoskey Stone (Hexagonaria), no matter what species, you still can claim you found an Official State Stone, giving you a happy time feeling. I, as well as most Petoskey Stone Hunters believe that if you find a Michigan fossil of colonial coral with six sides, it’s a Petoskey Stone. This is not really the case, but close enough for me.
In the Geology of Michigan (John A. Dorr, Jr., c1970) he states “Colonial coral fragments eroded from these rocks (the ledges and Devonian Age Reefs) often are found along the beaches of lakes in the Lower Peninsula. When polished by the abrasive action of the waves, these are called “Petoskey stones”.”
Small patterns do not mean this is a baby Petoskey. It simply means that this is a different species. What species? I do not know. No matter the species, it’s still a Petoskey Stone.
Dr. Stumm’s Position
The suggestion that Hexagonaria pericarnata be Michigan’s State Stone. was made by Dr. Erwin C. (Win) Stumm in 1969 (4 years after the State Act was signed into law). Dr. Strumm made this distinction based on his extensive knowledge of fossils. He knew that percarinata was the most common Hexagonaria found in Michigan. Dr. Strumm died on April 24, 1969. He was undoubtedly the leading expert in the world on Devonian Invertabrate fossils at that time. A paper published in 1970, after Stumm’s death. You can read his Corals of the Traverse Group of Michigan Part 13 Hexagonaria and see photos of various species. This is a heavy duty scientific paper.
In the paper, Stumm writes “Hexagonaria percarinata is the famous Petoskey Stone adopted by the legislature as The State Stone of Michigan”. Could it be that Stumm did not know what the State Act said? It was too late to ask him by the time his paper was published.
Just a real nice polished Petoskey Stone
This was all well and good, that Dr Stumm suggested Hexagonaria percarinata was the state stone, but Dr. Stumm did not have the legal authority to change State Legislation. ONLY a lawmaking body can make changes in already passed State Legislation. Act No. 89 of Public Acts of 1965 was never amended. Off and on people have suggested that the historical and common term of Petoskey Stone be more clearly defined. I do not think it should. Take a look at the photos in his paper. Would you know the difference in species, when you pick up a Petoskey Stone?
Act 89 has never been changed, therefore the Petoskey Stone remains Michigan’s Official State Stone designation-NOT Hexagonaria percarinata. People have been told, by so called experts, that what they found was NOT a Petoskey Stone, because it was not a Hexagonaria percarinata. Is Hexagonaria percarinata a Petoskey Stone? Yes it is; but so are many other Hexagonaria species.
Just because Stumm stated that Hexagonaria percarinata was his selection as the State Stone, it did not make it so. Shortly after Stumm made his statement, false information started to appear that somehow Hexagonaria percarinata became the Official State Stone. Not the case friends, no change in the law took place.
Today, you may read on the web; Petoskey Stone-(Hexagonaria percarinata) this and Petoskey Stone-(Hexagonaria percarinata) that, whenever Michigan’s State Stone is mentioned. The term (Hexagonaria Percarinata) always seems to be in parenthesis, following Petoskey Stone on the web, and in print. I’ve never seen an Official State document that has parenthesis in it. This is a dead giveaway that someone just added this information later. In a legal document. parenthesis are never used. It is impossible to track down when exactly placing (Hexagonaria Percarinata) after Petoskey Stone became common practice, but it did.
I really think it is way too late to do anything about the proliferation of mis-information on the web, and many other places, but certainly the facts are the facts. I come from a prior life of Incident Reports, legal docs, Investigations,and facts. (“Just the facts, ma’am.”) If you can convince me I’m incorrect in what I write, feel free to let me know.
If someone tells you that Hexagonaria percarinata is the State Stone, You are welcome to show the copy of Act 89, PA 1965 that is posted in this blog. Ask them where in this Michigan Act, it says anything about Hexagonaria percarinata?
Some of you may doubt what I have written is true, but the evidence and facts are readily available. Check the facts yourself. It’s unfortunate so many people believe what they read on the Internet without checking the facts.
If you have followed my blogs over the years, you should have noticed many are about Isle Royale Greestones. I am amazed by orders from all over the country for cabochons, pendants, and earrings. How do these people know about these rare, one-source gemstones?
Many people have visited Isle Royale National Park, and know these stones can be found on the Island, but park regulations do not allow collecting Greenstone, as well as other specifically listed rocks and minerals. Having said this, the National Park Service policies have changed over the years in regards to picking up Greenstone. Isle Royale Greenstone have actually been protected since isle Royale National Park was estabished in April of 1940. There are individuals, even today, that harvest a few Greenstones while visiting Isle Royale. I guess my personal feeling is neutral on this subject, but they could pay a price if caught.
The Park service looked the other way, back in the day, when visitors picked up a few Greenstones on the beaches. Tiny little Greenstone, although fairly tough, were eventually ground up by the mighty Lake Superior, so why not let a few go home as mementos. The problem came with commercial Greenstone expeditions, where thousands of Greenstone were harvested by divers or “professional pickers”, and sold on the mainland for massive profit. The park service cracked down on these greedy private business collectors, and began enforcing the collecting rules that were always on the books. Today, there is a strict and enforced policy against removal of certain Gemstones and Copper from Isle Royale.
Over the years, I often have conversations with customers about old rock collections from decades ago. The collections are sometimes discovered by heirs in basements, garages, or sheds. My ears perk up at the sound of “grandpa’s old rocks”. Last year I bought an old Greenstone collection that was stored in a barn for fifty years, the rockhound that collected them was remembered by the jewelry he made, but some stones remained.
I am an obcessed person when it comes to cutting and polishing Greenstone. I try to limit myself to 100-150 of them for marathon cutting and polishing (I can oly average 4 Greenstones an hour). I’ll select the beach tumbled stones from my stash, throw them in my redneck bowl (CoolWhip), and take them to my shop to flatten the backs for Dopping. FYI; the rough Copper-Greenstone, featured in the opening blog photo, is at 12 O’clock in the bowl. I thought it was just a Thomsonite-included stone. There was no indication it had Copper in it until it was cut (with me smiling).After the backs are flattened, I push them, flat side up, into that crispy Styrofoam used for making wreaths. Sometimes I get lucky, and am able to get broken scraps.
Finishing Isle Royale Greenstones
Whenever the urge presents itself, or my inventory depletes, I decide to have a Greenstone production week. Production usually involves sorting out stones for both pendants and earrings. Earrings are generally sorted for color, size, and quality AFTER the Stones have been dopped, cut and polished, and removed from the dopsticks.
Depending on the size, pendant stones may or may not need to be dopped. Dopping involves gluing or hot waxing a stone to a wooden stick, a nail or a screw, to allow safe cutting without the skin touching the diamond imbedded wheels of the Lapidary Machine. Some bleeding is often present even though the stones are Dopped. I tell Bonnie, that a little blood on the stone improves the polish (NOT). I do heal fast. Some of my cutting and polishing of Greenstone methods I keep under wraps, but standard methods work well for most. I may continue, starting with how I remove the stones from the Dopsticks, and proceed from there.
A tiny Greenstone, from the Jeremy Graham collection, I recently wire wrapped for him. An unusual yellowish-green Island stone with Thomsonite inclusions.. Many times good things come in small packages.
Greenstone Quality
Island Stones are usually superior to Keweenaw stones in all respects. They generally harder and the pattern goes completely through the stone. The pattern most often, is a finer pattern, and often the color is a pale sage green. Because of the hardness of the Island material, Isle Royale Greenstone take a super deluxe polish. You can read more about the colors and inclusions in Greenstone in the Snob Blog article, The Shades and Patterns of Greenstone (Chlorastrolite).
Island Stones make wonderful stud earrings due to the fine pattern that is usually present. Isle Royale stones cost a little more money, but are lovely.
Another phenomena of Island stones is their color variations; some are so unusual you can have doubts that they are actually Chlorastrolite.
“Greenstone, Copper Agates, Lake Superior Agates, Datolites, and Pink and normal Petoskey Stone Jewelry continued to be popular in 2018; and we expect this trend to continue. Our loyal customers understand how rare these Gemstones are becoming, and eagerly order them as impressive and historic pieces of jewelry from the Great Lakes Region. Many are buying these rare Gemstones as investments and treasured heirlooms. Great Lakes jewelry makes unique and highly appreciated gifts.Thanks to all of you that bought handmade in the USA, Great Lakes jewelry treasures, in 2018.
Christmas is past, but many of you are now wearing our jewelry. Thank you so much.
Bonnie’s Christmas Pendant: Top to Bottom; Lake Superior Agate, Yellow Keweenaw Point Datolite with Copper, Greenstone with Thomsonite from Isle Royale (Collected at least 50 years ago).
What does the jewelry makers wife get for Christmas? The trick is to make her something special (and make it in a stealth mode). I think I pulled a good one off.
I picked out three special stones; cabbed them, and made a beautiful Lake Superior Area Showpiece. The top stone is a wonderful, flawless Laker. Stone two is an ultra rare Keweenaw Point Yellow Datolite with Copper. The third Stone a very finely colored Isle Royale Greenstone that I retrieved from my very old collection of Isle Royale Stones. All these stones swing freely and separately from each other.
I took care of all those errant wires; (see above picture) which proved me worthy.
Very unusual pattern and coloration from the Central Exploration Mine. Enhanced with a nice pair of Greenstone beads. 2.8 Gram Greenstone about Quarter-sized large Greenstone.
A double Greenstone pendant with a free-swinging bottom. Phoenix Mine.
I’ve decided to up my game in 2019 by making some exceptionally notable pendants. Thanks all, and a very Happy New Year to you all.
Our art shows are over for the year so we are working on the web site, adding more pictures and descriptions of the Petoskey Stone pendants. We decided to offer some Petoskey Stone pendants for sale. If you are quick and alert, you can snag a great gift for Christmas. Check out our Sale Page for the currently available items. We included some of the Pink Petoskey stones as well. Look for nice patterns and unusual ones.
Here is a tip for the savviest shopper. There may be some sale pendants showing there that are not on the sale page. The resident data enterer, my wife Bonnie, sometimes forgets to check the two boxes that would make them appear both on Sale and on the Sale page. So to compensate for this, be sure to check out both the Petoskey Stone Pendant page and the Pink Petoskey Stone page for the best selection. If you missed my article about Pink Pets you should read all about them.
Order now for best selection! Go to our Sale Page now!
