Jewelry, Minerals and Fossils from Michigan and Beyond
We are a family owned store in beautiful downtown Traverse City. Every item in our store is one of a kind: from our own line of jewelry designed by co-owner Kathryn Wilson, to our extensive collection of unique minerals, fossils and housewares.
Our website highlights a small sampling of some of the items we carry, so if you don't see what you're looking for, please call or message us with any questions!
Because each piece is one of a kind and our inventory is constantly changing, we are only able to post a small glimpse of some of our past and current inventory, but we will be adding new pictures as often as possible!
*Pieces in our photo gallery may have already sold. If you're interested in a particular piece that is no longer available, we are happy to send you photos of similar pieces currently available in our store.
Call: 231-941-2200
Email: Info@ontherockstc.com
Leland Blue
On The Rocks
Petoskey Stone
Petoskey Stone
Well before dinosaurs roamed the earth, over 350 million years ago during the Devonian period, the land we know as Michigan was located near the equator. Covered by a warm, shallow, saltwater sea, the colonial coral hexagonaria percarinata thrived with other marine life in tropical reefs. The earth’s plates moved and pushed Michigan north to the 45th parallel and above sea level, which created dry land formations. More recently, about two million years ago, glacial action scraped the earth and spread the fossils across the northern Lower Peninsula, depositing major concentrations in the Petoskey area. The prehistoric fossil, unique to the Traverse Group rock strata, is called the Petoskey Stone and is Michigan’s official state stone.
Welcome to our photo gallery!
Below are photos of a small sampling of our past and current pieces. Please call, email or message us on Facebook and we'd be happy to help you find what you are looking for!
Michigan and Beyond
2319412200 | info@ontherockstc.com
Leland Blue (Antique Foundry Glass)
Circa 1875-1900
This unique material was a byproduct of the short-lived days of smelting iron ore in Northwestern Michigan. The Upper Peninsula Mesabi iron ranges supplied the ore. A high grade charcoal made only from beech and maple combined with local limestone flux reduced the iron ore to pig iron, creating a unique foundry glass. Smelting began in 1875 and by 1900 had ceased due to lack of hardwood.
Fordite
Fordite
Circa 1950-1980
Fordite, AKA Detroit agate, is an interesting and historic byproduct of a bygone age. These unique “gems” are actually layer upon layer of enamel paint which built up over time in the Ford auto plant paint booths as each car was spray-painted individually. When the paint accumulated into thick layers, it became necessary to remove it, which auto workers did by cracking it off with hammers. The vast majority of this material was discarded, but fortunately a few workers familiar with lapidary (art of stone-cutting) salvaged some choice pieces. This is a true piece of American history.