Tag Archives: Petoskey Stone

Petoskey Stones are a group of Happy Hexagonaria and Not just one Species.

Legal Terms you need to Know

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.

Yellow 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.

Pink Petoskey Stone — 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.

About Petoskey 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”.”

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.

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.

Visit our Petoskey Stone jewelry page for some fun browsing

Suggested Petoskey Stone reading: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/ogs-gimdl-GGPS_263213_7.pdf A DEQ Document that pretty much spells things out.

http://geo.msu.edu/extra/geogmich/petoskystone.html Nice picture of unpolished Petoskey Stone specimen next to a polished stone.

Petoskey Stone Pendant Sale!

A Petoskey Stone Pendant sale just in time for Christmas!

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!

A Perfect Petoskey Stone Fossil

The entire specimen about 3″X6″

Notice the Detail?

Do you really know what a Hexagonaria Coral looked like when it was alive during the Devonian Age? Neither do I. You can get an idea by looking online at artist’s rendering based on what corals look like today.

The Petoskey Stones we find in our area of NW Lower Michigan are lovely; whites, grays of various shades, and sometimes a little pink, yellow, or blue mixed in. These are calcified fossils and polish to an attractive shine that enhances the coloration and pattern.

Underside

Many years ago I purchased a collection of rocks and minerals that contained one very remarkable Hexagonaria. I just put it aside and forgot I had it for about 20 years. My wife Bonnie sometimes dares to comes down to the shop and TRIES to as she says “neaten up”. She rediscovered this fossil with others back in the recesses of my storage area.

Hexagon shaped chambers with polyps’ peaking out

Close-up of Polyps. Notice the chamber wall striations.

I was amazed at the detail of the fossil. I simply cleaned the dust and cobwebs off with some Dawn soap and a toothbrush. I ground off the rough bottom so it sets straight. Imagine my surprise when my hard diamond wheels were sparking and I found that the fossil was not the normal Calcite, but very hard Quartz. Because this Petoskey was a Silica replacement fossil it remained undamaged and perfectly petrified for these millions of years. I have to suspect that this fossil was early Devonian. I have no idea where this specimen was found, but I was happy it was re-found in my barn and I could show it to you.

First off, my fossil has a yellow tinge. All the individual Polyps show high resolution and even perfect mouths. The living part of the Hexagonaria was called a polyp, and the dark spot we see in the center of the Hexagon shaped chamber was the polyp’s mouth. The animal had tenticles like most modern corals, that grabbed plankton as it drifted by then fed this food into its’ mouth.

See the tentacles?

The resolution is so good in this fossil that you can actually see some tenticles and perfect striations on the walls of the individual chambers.

I am knowledgeable about Petoskey Stones, but I am by far not a leading expert. I base my text on what I know from collecting devonian Fossils for 40 years.

Ribbons of Pink Petoskey Stone

Top shows exterior Pattern. The bottom shows the color change in the next slab.

Top photo shows exterior Pattern. The bottom shows the color change in the next slab.

Snob Appeal Jewelry has written the book on Pink Petoskey Stones (AKA Pink Pets). (See Rocks and Minerals magazine, May/June 2013) Pink Pets are one of our specialties (see Pink Petoskey Stone Jewelry in our catalog).

The last trip to one of my very secret hunting areas produced a bucket of very nice Petoskey Stones, including several coveted Pink Petoskey stones. Many Pink Pets are not quite jewelry grade, but some special ones are suitable for Snob Appeal Jewelry.

Bonnie and I have harvested tons and tons of Petoskey Stones over many years, generally avoiding the often substandard beach stones, popular with tourists. Tourists generally do not know a good Petoskey from a bad one, they are just so excited to find one! I am not critiquing anyone for picking up these Northern Michigan souvenirs, but quality is what we look for, and beach stones can be muddy, have poor patterns and poor coloration. The scarce pink stones are seldom found by the tourists. The reason being they just don’t look for pink. We know most Petoskey Stones are various shades of white, gray, and brown, and that is what the eyes are trained to look for.

Close-up of typical crushed pattern in Petoskey Stones.

Sometimes, among Pink Pets, a really rare one shows up. This happened to me on one of the years’s first hunts. I found a Pink Petoskey Stone with ribbons of pink. Not only did it have pink ribbons, it also had a “crushed” pattern. The “crushed” pattern is indicative of great weight of the overburden literally crushing the normal Petoskey Stone Hexagonal pattern. Sometimes the fossil pattern is flattened and deformed into something almost unrecognizable compared to the original. I have only found a handful of crushed Pink Pets over the years, and have never found one with a clear pattern and ribbons of pink in the stone.

I love the “what is this?” moments I sometimes have hunting stones, and this was one of those moments. I have trained my eye to pick out pink stones, but this was something new.

Wonderful Petoskey Stone Ribbon cabs.

When I hunt, I put very special stones in my pocket. These I refer to as “pocket rocks”. I’ve found most rockhounds do the same as I. I removed my pocket rock when I got home and put it on the saw. You never know how deep any pink coloration runs into a stone, and in this case the answer was not too far. The second and subsequent cuts continued the ribbon pattern, but it changed to bluish except for the pink edges. This darker ribbon will also make wonderful jewelry. The other side of the stone was also a pink ribbon.

Did I like this one? Nope....I LOVED this one.

Iron causes the pink coloration in Petoskey Stones. The coloration in this stone was almost a maroon red, also very unusual. Still, after all the tons of Petoskey Stones I have harvested over many years, I get a big thrill about finding something unusual and surprising. This was sure one of those cases.

Petoskey Stone Hunting-Can It Get Any Better?

Bonnie hunting on the gravel pile they removed from where I hunted down below.

Under normal circumstances I would look out my window and see snow falling on the already snow-covered ground, and wind chills below zero. So what is the deal this year? December 27th; no snow on the ground and a foggy soupy look outside. It is 45 degrees. Let’s see; 45 degrees and fog means wet ground. Wet ground means the Petoskey Stones will turn from invisible to visible. Can it get any better? YES IT CAN!

Bonnie and I packed up the Broll, buckets, and Treasure Scoops threw them in the truck and off we went to one of the private gravel pits we hunt. We are not allowed to hunt when the pit is being worked, but they don’t work the pit in the winter. Can it get any better? YES IT CAN!

Dream hunting for the Petoskey hunters.

Even a blind squirrel could see this nut! I can get a pink one and another one in one scoop!

We know just before winter a pile of gravel was stockpiled for spring, and we know the pit will be wet where the gravel was removed down to near the water line. Petoskey Stone Hunting should be great. I have my waterproof insulated Gortex boots and Carhardt rain gear, just in case it rains. Can it get any better? YES IT CAN! It started raining!

Bonnie forgot her rain gear, but had a fairly waterproof winter coat over two sweatshirts. Yes this IS normal for this woman. I really don’t see much of her as we hunt different areas of the gravel pit. I know that we have many blog followers that have never hunted Petoskey Stones, so I decided to document this trip. Waterproof camera in hand so you can follow along.

I hunted down in a pit where a large amount of gravel was removed to create a giant pile of gravel. Bonnie, the more agile of us enjoys scurrying around on piles, while I enjoy wading, disregarding the cold water seeping through my boots. My goal today is to pick enough to fill a 4 gallon bucket. Bonnie’s goal is to search areas she knows I won’t go. Can it get any better? YES IT CAN!

betterday5

A perfect white Petoskey Stone.

I started hitting the mother lode immediately. Man those Petoskey’s stand out in the water. All sizes, shapes, and hues were being exhumed. I saw something very unusual. A perfect Petoskey Stone, pure white in color. It was so white, I could almost see a glowing aura surrounding it. I’ve got to get a picture. I think it would be cool to make a piece of jewelry and be able to track the pendant back to its origin. A special Petoskey for the bucket. Can it get any better? YES IT CAN!

Here's a pink one.

I’m finding two, three, five, and more Petoskeys’ within a foot of each other. I can scoop up two or three at a time. Can it get any better? YES IT CAN!

Can I find a big Pink Petoskey Stone? Yes I can; several in fact. Not all big, but very nice. I’m finding Favosites, Horn Coral, Crinoid Stems, and all forms of Devonian Soup. Can it get any better? YES IT CAN!

A nice big Petoskey.

Can I find a fist-sized Petoskey? Yes, almost immediately after the question forms. I love big, solid, Petoskey Stones. I’m hearing, off in the distance, the soothing sound of stones as they sort of thump and drum as they are thrown into a plastic pail. I know the Petoskey Queen is harvesting a good crop also, up above me. Can it get any better? YES IT CAN!

Why do you need extra weight in the Broll you might ask? Can I take this Garden Rock? Answer: If you want to haul it. What a gem of a woman...

I’m tiring fast. Bonnie is skirting the edges of the puddled area, while I continue to wade. Soon my Broll bucket is filled and Bonnie has half a bucket also. She already took a bunch to the truck, so we are golden. I am wasted, beat up, and my leg is killing me, but it’s amazing what you can overcome when greed sets in. Bonnie took the Broll up the road to meet me at the gate. I took all the other rocks, buckets and scoops and headed out, picking as I went back to the truck. Can it get any better? NOPE! what a day.

Petoskey Stone Christmas

Christmas Day 2014

The new Treasure Scoop is a bit bigger and beefier than the old one.

Rockhounds get really excited when a new rock hunting tool appears under the Christmas Tree. This happily happened to me today when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a new Treasure Scoop. I already own several scoops. The older ones were known as Gem Scoops, but they are the same. The older scoops are 36″ in length, but my new tool is a beefy 42″. I think size really does matter here. These longer scoops are something new.

The new scoops are well made tools from The Fundamental Rockhound. www.myrockhound.com. I have no connection to this company, but I recommend these scoops, and believe every rockhound should own at least one. As you get older and wiser, you try to find easier ways to get those rock treasures. These Treasure Scoops lessen your bending, increase your reach into the water or rock pile, and are a nice walking stick.

Before using any tool, some, but not all, rockhounds will read the directions on any new tool. Let’s examine these directions, especially the warnings:

DO NOT use this tool for any of the following:

Hammer, pick, shovel, or pry bar. I admit to violating these rules occasionally, but I can see why this CYA warning is listed.

DO NOT use in a lightning storm–No lightning in the winter, so we’re good on this.

This tool is NOT to be used by children-Our kids are grown, so we are good to go on this also.

Please use this tool responsibly-OK

Is there anything about NOT using this tool in the snow?-Nope; good to go.

“Hey Bonnie, lets go Petoskey Stone Hunting”. How great is it to have married a woman nearly as crazy as me. Let’s see; snow on the ground, 32 degrees, wind chill 15 degrees. I guess all we need are good coats, hats and gloves. We’re off!

Semi-insane Petoskey Stone Hunting.

Nice Petoskey!

A Petoskey Stone hunt on Christmas. How cool is that? The story continues at one of the gravel pits we hunt. There is indeed snow, but some exposed stones. Lets get some! Difficult to find, but we are rockhounds, and we will prevail. I have my new scoop and as I search I hear that old Kenny Rogers-Dolly Parton song:

“Petoskey’s in the snow

That is where they are are

No snow in between

How can we be wrong

Scoop away with me

To another world

And we rely on each other, ah ha

From one rockhound to another, ah ha”

The Christmas Collection 2014

“Adventure” rockhounding, gotta love it.

Rhodochrosite on the Workbench

We have been very busy making new jewelry for the past few weeks. The Pink Petoskey (Pink Pet) activity has also taken up time with making cabochons, wrapping them, and polishing Pink Pets for web sales. At last count there are over 30 polished Pink Pets on this site; take a look. The May/June issue of Rocks and Minerals Magazine features an article by myself and Dr. George Robinson on the illusive Pink Petoskey Stones of Northern Michigan.

I called this pendant "Brazen Vista". I think you can see why.

I daily look through my cabochon collection and choose possibilities for wire wrapping. My mood changes from day to day, so whatever inspires me, I select. Yesterday a lovely rosy pink Rhodochrosite grabbed my attention.

I knew this pendant would be a challenge because it was a rectangle. Squares and rectangles are a challenge for several reasons. The cab has to be very precisely calibrated from side to side and top to bottom or you will notice the imbalance immediately. Secondly, the wire wrapping has to be dead on from side to side and top to bottom. Thirdly, wire cannot be “pulled” around corners, so squares and rectangles must be made one side at a time. Advanced skills are required for this type of wrapping. This is why you do not see many wire wrappers doing squares, rectangles, or round shapes. This type of wire wrapping is very detailed and time consuming.

I have been looking at this large (2″ X 1 -1/4 “) Rhodochrosite cab for a few years off and on. In recent years Brown Rhodochrosite has become more expensive than normal pink Rhodocrosite. Years ago the miners in Argentina threw away Rhodocrosite containing browns as unacceptable. The value of this gemstone has substantially increased for the past several years. It is difficult to find nice Brown Rhodochrosite without pits, and this quality costs $$$. The brown coloration is a result of impurities in the stone. So finally this stone has a chance to shine.

Here are a couple other items from my workbench this week.
Bonnies new Pink Pet.

Bonnie claimed a recent Pink Petoskey Stone Pendant as her own. She normally likes all the stuff I make, and is honest in her opinions of my wire wrapping. Sometimes she just really likes a piece, and this was the case here. Click on this link to Pink Petoskey Stone Pendants as I do have lots of other Petoskey Stone jewelry available for purchase, just not this one!

Beth's new treasure. Thanks for being patient.

My good friend John gave me a geode slice a few months ago after we came back from the Tucson rock shows. During the Tucson unpacking frenzy I misplaced the stone and forgot about it until John asked me about it. This put me on a full alert to find it. I found a little silver cloth bag on my bookshelf, looked inside, and found the stone. I should have been looking for a silver bag instead of a stone. It was right where I put it, as Bonnie would say.

I had talked to John, previously, about putting a gemstone in the crystal cave of the stone, but was inspired when three Topaz’ fit perfectly in the pocket. Beth (John’s wife) loves her new piece of jewelry. Again, this piece is spoken for, but perhaps you would like to look at some other gems by following these links: Crazy Lace Agate Pendants, Ocean Jasper, Pietersite, or the every sparkly Victoria Stone.

Pink Petoskey Stone (Pink Pets)

“Pink Petoskey Stones from Northern Michigan” is the title of a feature article in the May/June edition of Rocks and Minerals Magazine written by Dr. George Robinson with me as coauthor. George is past Director and retired Curator of the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum at Michigan Tech in Houghton, Michigan. The Museum is the official State Mineral Museum of Michigan and boasts the finest collection of minerals from the Copper Country in the world.

Pink Petoskey Stones get no better than this one. I could not in good conscious keep it for myself, so I donated it to the A.E.Seaman Mineral Museum. You can see it in the Petoskey Stone/Michigan Fossil Case.

If you search the Seaman Museum, you will see a very fine Pink Petoskey Stone that I found, polished, and donated.

When you read the article in Rocks and Minerals, you will find the cause of the pink coloration is Iron that permeated into the Hexagonaria Coral as it Calcified. People have asked me if Petoskey Stone is the only Devonian Fossil that shows saturation of iron, and the answer is no.

Pink has permeated into Devonian Clam Shells in this fossil soup.

Pink has permeated into Devonian Bivalve Shells in this fossil soup.

A Favosites sports a nice pink tinge.

Any Devonian Fossil can show evidence of iron deposition. I have seen pink hues in Horn Coral, Favosites, and even Clams from this period.

Since Dr. Robinson has researched the cause of the pink in Petoskey Stones (and these other Devonian Fossils), I will not expand on that in this article. Rather I would concentrate on helping you find some of these rare beauties.

The high quality Petoskey Stones that I find are concentrated in NW lower Michigan in glacial tills and on the beaches of Lake Michigan. I have found the Petoskey Stones on the east side of Michigan are not generally of the quality I find on the west side. These east side stones tend to be porous and will not take the high polish that a more solid stone will take. Quality Jewelry and nice specimens require solid stones. Don’t get me wrong, some nice stones have been found on the east side, but I’m happy I spend my time hunting on the west side.

Hunting in an old gravel pit or small stream may produce some nice Pink Petoskey Stones. Most people hunt the shorleline, but there are other areas to find Pink Pets.

A good stone is solid with a clear pattern (not muddy). This is what I look for. It is hard to find a Pink Petoskey without flaws (pits, holes, and the like). I believe somehow the Iron Oxide in the Calcite is a causation in the weakening of the structure of these rare stones. In addition, there is never any guarantee as to how far into a stone the pink coloration permeates. It could be surface color or just as easily be throughout the stone. We do not know how deep the pink goes in a stone unless it is cut.

A nice Pink Pet is hidden in the gravel.

Most of you know that the Petoskey Stone is Michigan’s State Stone. Hexagonaria Corals are not strictly concentrated in Michigan, but indeed are found around the world. The finest Petoskey Corals are found in Michigan.

How can you find a Pink Pet? Over many years of hunting I have discovered that perhaps one out of 300 Petoskey Stones may display some pink. The pink hue can permiate thoughout the stone, or may be only skin deep. Rockhounds should stay alert for Petoskey Stone with a pink hue, instead of just looking for the common greys associated with the calcified Petoskey Stone.

Some Pink Petoskey Stones are hidden in the days catch.

The grey color of Petoskey Stones can vary. The difference between the light colored and the dark colored Petoskey is the level of petroleum in the stone. When I polish a darker stone I can actually smell a distinct odor of petroleum. Darker stones, because of their petrolem content, tend to take a higher shine than their light colored brothers. When iron is deposited with the calcified Petoskey the colorations very with light stones showing classic pink in the patterns and dark stones becoming almost a mahogany color.

You can see the difference between the dark pink and the light pink in these pendants I made.

Where do you look for rare Pink Pets after you telling yourself to think pink? I am not going to give up my secret spots of course, but I will say that I find many on the gravel back roads on a rainy day. Petoskey Stones are elusive when dry, but “pop” when wet. Any rainy day, we are out looking. Property owners in NW Michigan are very protective (and have weapons), so do not trespass. Private property includes many gravel pits as well. So get permission before hunting. You are not trespassing if you are hunting rocks on the public roads, but of course, use caution while hunting. Road cuts are another place not to pass up in your search. Utility poles generally designate the road right of way in Michigan, so if you are inside the utility poles, you are probably on public property. You will want a container to put your treasures into, and my favorite is a large ice cream bucket.

There's got to be a Petoskey Stone around here!

They try to hide...

Beaches, as well as back roads, produce Petoskey Stones. I am surprised by the novice Petoskey Hunters that think they have to go to the Petoskey area to find Petoskey Stones. Anywhere from Manistee to I75 and north is prime hunting for quality Petoskey Stones but Manistee east to Alpena and north is good hunting. The Straights of Macinaw seems to be the end of good Petoskey Stone hunting as flat broken rocks inhabit the shoreline.

When enjoying northern Michigan, and the weather turns wet, make lemonade out of lemons and go for a wet hike on the beach, along a roadway, or a roadcut and look for that rare pink Petoskey Stone.

Snob Appeal Jewelry can Polish, cut, and make jewelry from your rock finds. Just contact us through this website.

http://www.snobappealjewelry.com

Pink Petoskey Stones on the Workbench

We have been making and featuring Petoskey Stone Pendants for many years. With tourists to our area, these are beloved souvenirs of northern Michigan. Over the past couple weeks I have been busy polishing and wrapping jewelry using new Pink Petoskey Stones. I expect a wave of activity when the new Rocks and Minerals Magazine comes out in the next week. I offer both a page for Pink Petoskey stones and for Pink Petoskey Stone Jewelry, so you can wear a pendant and have a special stone for your collection.

My Pink UFO.

Amazing pink in this one.

Make your choice of “Pink Pets” (my moniker for these) today. Where can you find a Pink Pet for your very own? In the natural stone world, they are quite scarce for sure. I have found over 10 tons of Petoskey Stones over 15 years, and have 20 gallons of Pink Pets to show for it. This is only 1% by my count. We choose the best Pink Petoskey Stones for our jewelry and specimens to offer you on our website.

I liked this one.

I expect to post a blog with additional information on the rare Pink Petoskey when the Rocks and Minerals Magazine article comes out.

Here are a few of the Petoskey Stone Pendants I have been making.

Breaking News from Snob Appeal Jewelry

As loyal readers of The Snob Blog, you deserve to be first to receive a couple of bits of news.

The rare and collectable Pink Petoskey Stone

If you are a reader of Rocks & Minerals Magazine, watch for the May-June issue for an article by Dr. George Robinson and myself on Pink Petoskey Stones. The article was originally submitted to another magazine in an extended version. In addition to the article coming out in Rocks & Minerals I will provide you with further material!

Downtown Tucson, Arizona: We are always eager to be here.

We always look for these monumental specimens at one of the over 30 Tucson shows.

The other great news is I intend to blog each day that we are at the Quartzite and Tucson. You will feel you are actually there through my photos and text (well almost). My Tucson Blogs are the most viewed blogs I write on my website. You can check out the last couple years of them by searching back in my blog.