Petoskey Fossil Coral

Homegrown and commonly found along the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron in the United States is the water stone Petoskey Fossil Coral. A Petoskey stone is a rock and a fossil, often found in the shapes of pebbles and composed of fossilized coral, Hexagonaria percarinata. These corals colonized Michigan in the Devonian period, about 350 million years ago when most of Michigan was submerged under water. The stones were formed as a result of glaciations, in which sheets of ice plucked stones from the bedrock, grinding off their rough edges and depositing them in the northwestern portion of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

The name of the stone is a derivation of the name Petosegay, the name given to the son of a Frenchman who married an Ottwa Indian princess and later became the tribes’ chief. According to legend, Petosegay was the child of a descendant of French nobleman and fur trader, Antoine Carre and an Ottawa princess. Petosegay, meaning "rising sun", "rays of dawn" or "sunbeams of promise", was named after the rays of sun that fell upon his newborn face. In keeping with his promising name, Petosegay was a wealthy fur trader who gained much land and acclaim for himself and his tribe. He was remarked upon to have a striking and appealing appearance, and spoke English very well. He married another Ottawa, and together they had two daughters and eight sons. In the summer of 1873, a few years before the Chiefs' passing, a city began on his land along Little Traverse Bay. The settlers christened the newborn city Petoskey, the English translation of Petosegay

This new piece is made from Petoskey Fossil Coral and Denim Lapis with many silver spaces in-between. The website has this and many other custom pieces available for purchase.

*From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and various lapidary websites.