Gem Bone

Gem Bone short for Gem Dinosaur Bone refers to fossilized dinosaur bones that have been petrified with silica or quartz crystals which gives them their colorful, glassy appearance. This process preserves the actual cell structure of the once living dinosaur. The largest deposits of agatized dinosaur bones are concentrated in the Colorado Plateau of Utah in the Jurassic Era Morrison Formation.

The wide variety of colors in agatized dino bone are caused by minerals such as chlorite, chromium, iron-oxide and manganese that enter the cells during formation. The best dinosaur gembone is brightly colored and has very distinct cells surrounded by web like patterns.

Gem bone is a rare gem material used and collected by jewelers and lapidary artisans.

A group of very dedicated gem bone collectors have labeled themselves boneheads.

The bonehead found an incredible gem bone vertebrae when digging in Utah.