About Petoskey Stones

As one of the largest purveyors of Petoskey Stones in Northern Michigan (and the fact that we can find them in our front yard) we know a thing or two about Michigan’s ultimate souvenir.

Michigan’s state stone, the Petoskey stone, is a rock and fossil that is composed of a fossilized rugose coral combined mostly with calcite. Rugose coral were found to have been both solitary and live in colonies!

The name 'Petoskey' comes from an Ottawa Indian Chief, Chief Pet-O-Sega. The city of Petoskey, Michigan is also named after him and is the center of the area where these stones of fossilized coral are found. The stones are most easily found on beaches and in sand dunes.

We happen to offer one of the largest selections of Petoskey Stones in Northern Michigan and we LOVE to talk about them.  Come check out our collection of polished, unpolished, shaped, and Petoskey Stone art.

For more information check out The Complete Guide To Petoskey Stones available in our shop!

The best way to spot a fake Petoskey Stone is by practice. Here you will find a few tips to remember the next time you go out looking for souvenirs.

The most common time to run across a fake Petoskey Stone is when looking at jewelry. Some jewelers buy their beads pre-made by third parties and don't notice when fakes are slipped in to their stock! To the untrained eye, most fake Petoskey Stone cabs and beads are quite convincing. The best way to show you a fake is with the image below:

 

Because each stone represents a unique coral colony, no two stones will look alike. Your Petoskey Stone may have some funky shapes, white lines, and even fun colors like blue and pink on it, but that doesn't mean that it is a replica. The shape of your stone is also not a determinant. Though the image above shows the real example as a square shape and the fake as a rounded bead, that does not mean that a rounded bead is a fake! Trust your gut!

Some artists will press a Petoskey Stone pattern onto their work. This is not meant to fool you, but to create fun new things with a beautiful Petoskey Stone hexagonal design! The best way to tell fakes in these cases is by weight and appearance. Flip over your plate, ornament, etc, and see if the back side is a solid color. This means it is just a pressed on pattern or screen printed pattern. Pick up the bowl and feel its weight. If it is large and looks like Petoskey Stone pattern all throughout, it should be very heavy! It is also very uncommon to find large Petoskey Stones that have been shaped.

While not many artists have taken to creating figures from Petoskey Stones, it is still very much possible! Petoskey Stones are quite soft (Mohs hardness of 3-5 depending on their make-up) and can be professionally shaped into almost anything. Because of their softness, though, this is a delicate process which is why you will see jewelry with uniquely shaped stones at a higher price point. Detailed Petoskey Stone figures or jewelry at super cheap prices should be a good giveaway that the stone may be a replica.

There are many other amazing and historical fossilized coral colonies to be found, but they are not to be mistaken for Michigan's state stone! Some other corals you may find along Lake Michigan are: chain coral, horn coral, and our other locally named fossil: Charlevoix Stone. Chain coral looks like it has a chainlink wrapped around the stone. Horn coral tends to just be a single piece of coral and are much larger than Petoskey Stones. Charlevoix Stones have the same hexagonal shape that Petoskey Stones do, but are much tinier in size. Study the images below to remember these other local corals that have been mistaken for Petoskey Stones.