7/4/2023 0 Comments Bella findingsStorms in particular are best though, because the wind and waves disrupt the sand and allow Petoskey stones to wash up on shore or surface from under the sand. The patterns on Petoskey and Charlevoix stones are more easily seen when the rocks are wet, making rain your friend in this search. Photo by Kathleen Smith/Frankfort Moments Look for Petoskey’s After Stormsīeachcombing after a storm is the best time if you’re looking for Petoskey stones. The average stone hunter won’t think to look in these lesser-known spots, so you’ll have a better chance of finding some Petoskey stones for yourself. Leave those beaches to sun and fun and instead explore smaller, rockier beaches.Īdditionally, you should know that Petoskey’s are not exclusive to the waterline, check the shore before the water and even in surrounding areas near uprooted trees or any other disrupted soil. Michigan is home to many beautiful sandy beaches where people enjoy sunbathing and swimming. ![]() Avoid the Sandy Beaches When Hunting Petoskey Stones The easiest way to tell the difference is that Charlevoix stones have a smaller hexagonal exoskeleton pattern compared to Petoskey stones. Though they are both fossilized corals from approximately the same time in history, there are subtle differences. Both are beautiful and great finds, but knowing the differences can ensure you get exactly what you’re looking for. Petoskey stones and Charlevoix stones look a lot alike. Tips for Finding Petoskey Stones Know How to Identify a Petoskey Stone or a Charlevoix Stone The sun rays, or, “sunbeams of promise,” signified his promise of a life of greatness, which he fulfilled. Legend has it that the Petoskey Stone was named for Odawa Indian chief Pet-O-Sega, who owned the land that became the city of Petoskey, MI.īorn to a French fur trader father and Odawa Indian mother, the rays of the sun,” translated to “pet-o-sega,” filtered across his face as he entered the world. Petoskey Stones are deeply embeded in the native American folklore of Michigan. This pattern is the fossilized pattern of the prehistoric rugose corals.Įach hexagon on a Petoskey stone was once a coral polyp and the dark center of each one of the coral polyps was once the mouth, which used tentacles to feed the coral. Petoskey stones are unique rocks that sport a tightly-packed hexagonal pattern all over their surface. ![]() It is the fossils of these corals in the coral colony that make a Petoskey stone. Here, massive colonies of rugose coral (hexagonaria percarinata) thrived in reefs. Photo by Kathleen Smith/Frankfort Moments What are Petoskey Stones?Ībout 350 million years ago, Michigan was actually located near the equator, and a warm, shallow, tropical sea covered the land. Read on to discover more about Petoskey Stones and where to find them. So how do you find the elusive Petoskey stone? Wherther you visit a Lake Michigan beach, or a Lake Huron beach, you’re chances for locating a Petoskey are good if you know how to look.įrom well-known spots like Charlevoixand the Leelanau Peninsula, where the beaches are scattered with these fossils, to quieter places like Lexington on Michigan’s blue thumb coast, there are many Petoskey stones still waiting to be found. Luckily, for rock-hounds and fossil-hunters, the shores of Michigan are vast. ![]() Once-living coral, Petoskey stones (the official state stone) remain a beloved symbol of our Great Lakes from more than 350 million years ago. That’s when the tell-tale pattern pops out: a tightly-packed six-sided design. They sometimes look like ordinary limestone, too, unless they’re wet. ![]() Though elusive and sometimes tricky to find. Wander just about any shore of Lake Michigan in the spring and summer and you’re bound to find rock hounds, eyes down and scouring the beach, trying to find a Petoskey Stone. Michigan’s state stone, the Petoskey stone (and its lesser-known cousin, the Charlevoix stone), are favored unique treasures for beach-goers on the Great Lakes. Photo by Kathleen Smith/Frankfort Moments Guide to Finding a Petoskey Stone (and Charlevoix Stones, too)
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