Crystalline Coral

The Ohio River Valley is home to some wonderful fossils, and these amazing pieces come from Ohio as well. According to fossil experts, the sparkling, segmented spaces are actually a species of Devonian-Age Fossilized Coral, surrounded by weathered limestone.  It is similar to the coral that composes Petoskey Stone, except that Petoskey Stone looks at the coral in cross-section, and here, the supporting structures of the coral animals are shown longitudinally. More of these open, crystal-lined segments can be found on the unpolished reverse sides of these pieces. Master lapidarist Keith Horst cut these with a generous thickness, so they will be strong enough for setting. However, the individual panels dividing the coral segments are somewhat delicate, so they are not meant for heavy-wear jewelry. Please note sizes: Some of these are big.