Petoski Stone is a sedimentary rock that is a fossil of the extinct four- rayed coral species Hexagonaria percarinata . [1] , occurs mainly in the form of pebbles or cobblestones. The stones were formed in the Ice Age off the shores of Lake Michigan with looming ice, which, moving along the rock, polished and pressed the colony into a hard rounded stone. Stones are found mainly in the northwest (sometimes in the northeast) of the lower peninsula of Michigan , mainly on the coast and in sand dunes. In some areas of Michigan, you can find fossils of entire coral colonies.
Petoskey stones are part of a coral reef formed in the Devonian period [1] . Dry raw stone is similar to ordinary limestone, but if wetted or polished, characteristic patterns of hexagonal corals appear on it, so the stone is often processed for decorative purposes. In addition to this species, fossils and other species of coral are found on the shores of the lake.
In 1965 , the stone officially became a symbol of Michigan.
Name Origin
The name comes from the name of the leader Petosega ( English Pet-O-Sega ) of the Indian tribe Ottawa . The city of Petoskey , also named after him, is located in the center of a stone deposit.
According to local legend, Petosega was a descendant of French aristocrats - fur traders Antoine Carré and the princess of the Ottawa tribe. Pet-O-Sega, which means “rising sun”, “rays of dawn” or “sun rays of a vow” was named so because of the rays of light that fell on the face of the newborn. The promising name was fully justified and by the age of 40, Petosega had become a successful fur trader and owner of a large territory in modern Michigan. I was remembered by contemporaries with a bright attractive appearance, spoke good English. He was married for the second time to a girl from the Ottawa tribe, had two daughters and 8 sons. In the summer of 1873, along the small gulf of Lake Michigan ( en: Little Traverse Bay ), a settlement was founded named after the owner of the surrounding lands, which was named Petoskey, changing the name of Petosegi to the English manner. [2]
Deposits
Petoskey stones are mined on different shores and lands of the state of Michigan, mainly in the area around the cities of Petoskey and Charlevo. Every spring, stones are found on the shores of the lake, it is assumed that they are pushed to the surface by the movement of ice during the winter. [3] Petoskey stones are also found in the states of Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, New York, Canada, England and even sometimes in Asia. [four]
On September 23, 2015, the discovery of a 42-pound stone found stranded on Lake Michigan, near the city of Northport, was reported. [5] In December 2015, the Michigan Natural Resources Authority confiscated the stone under state law, which does not allow the extraction of stones weighing more than 25 pounds (about 11 kg) from the state. [6]
Stone is sometimes used in jewelry. [7]
Photo Gallery
A close-up of Hexagonaria percarinata from Michigan.
The untreated Petoskey stone is approximately 5.5 ″ (14 cm) long.
Close-up, actual size about 3.6 cm wide.
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Middle Devonian Transverse Group in Charlevoix and Emmet counties, Michigan , Geological Society of America Centennial Field Guide — North-Central Section, Randall L. Milstein, Subsurface and Petroleum Geology Unit, Michigan Geological Survey, Lansing, Michigan, 1987
- ↑ http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/ogs-gimdl-GGPS_263213_7.pdf Michigan's official State Stone
- ↑ Petoskey Stone Archived July 19, 2011 to Wayback Machine , Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau
- ↑ [1] Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
- ↑ Man lugs 93-pound Petoskey stone out of Lake Michigan . MLive Michigan . MLive Media Group .. Date accessed September 23, 2015.
- ↑ Tunison, John . State confiscates 93-pound Petoskey stone from Michigan man (11 December 2015). Date of treatment December 11, 2015.
- ↑ Gemstones of North America, Volume 3, John Sinkankas Van Nostrand, 1959, p. 66
- Bruce Mueller and William H. Wilde, 2004, The Complete Guide to Petoskey Stones , The University of Michigan Press ISBN 978-0-472-03028-6