Dinosaur Collection

Fossilized dinosaur bone beads are fascinating, as the appearance and dimensions of the mineral remain constant, but over millions of years the natural bone material was replaced by a material to become chalcedony, quartz, agate, or "gembone"  in a process called demineralization!  It can be traced back to dinosaurs that roamed the earth during the late Jurassic Age around 150 million years ago.

Dinosaur Bone used in rings and other jewelry is known as gembone (or gem bone) and has been described as one of the most rare and beautiful fossils in the world. Specimens can be traced back to dinosaurs that roamed the earth during the late Jurassic Age around 150 million years ago. The different colors and very unique pattern in gembones are caused by minerals such as chlorite, chromium, iron-oxide and manganese that enter the cells during formation.

Non-gem grade dinosaur bones can be found in many places all over the world including the Four Corners region in the United States where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado meet - the beginning of these gems forming on the Colorado Plateau 35 million years ago!

HOW IS IT FORMED?

Agatized dinosaur bone is a unique fossil where the original fossilized bone, typically permineralized with calcite, has been re-mineralized, or replaced, with silica-type compounds. This requires a particular type of environment, referred to as an aqueous intrusion, to replace the calcite in the original fossils with silicates. For an aqueous intrusion to occur, local strata layers must be uplifted during tertiary intrusions so that silica-rich, superheated groundwater can flood these layers and force water and aqueous solutions into the microporous fossilized bone.