Petoskey (stone)
The Petoskey Stone is a stone that can be polished as a gemstone and consists of fossilized coral skeletons that grew in a warm sea in the Devonian and is found at Lake Michigan ( Great Lakes ) in the US state of Michigan . First colored grayish-brownish, after moistening the honeycomb-shaped pattern appears, which is created by the cross-sections of the housing of the individual coral polyps . The scientific name of the coral Hexagonaria percarinata was derived from the hexagonal shape of the coral cross-sections .
The name is derived from the place Petoskey (Michigan) and thus from the Ottawa chief Petosegay , whose tribe used to live in the area where these stones are found particularly frequently. Governor George W. Romney declared the Petoskey Stone the Official State Stone of Michigan on June 28, 1965.
During storms, new stones are repeatedly washed onto the beach of Lake Michigan, which are collected by tourists and locals. In souvenir shops it is sold as a natural stone or processed into pieces of jewelry as an inexpensive souvenir from the region.
Web links
- Description of the occurrence (English; PDF file; 593 kB)
- Hexagonaria percarinata , coral colony from the Devonian as Petoskey Stone