Tiny Tuesday...Hexagonaria Percarinata

I know I've posted our state (Michigan) stone before, but this is another Petoskey stone.

It is both a stone and a fossil, coming from fossilized rugose coral. It was formed during the glacial period, when sheets of ice plucked the stones from the bedrock. Oooooh, the things you can learn on Wiki-pedia!

The entire "pattern" is only a half an inch wide, while the whole stone is about 2 inches.

I came across the stone as I was cleaning my basement/workshop. What a mess, but I did put a dent in it today.

The pattern reminds me of little flowers. It has been our state stone since 1965. I used to find them by the bucketful, but the last few years...not so much. The pattern only shows up when the stone is wet, so when you're out "hunting", you go equipped with a big bucket and a sprayer.