Great Lakes Amulets

Great Lakes Amulets celebrate the natural stones that come only from Lake Michigan and/or the other Great Lakes. Two items unique to Lake Michigan​ are Petoskey fossil and Leland slag glass, both named after the towns associated with these stones.  Petoskey fossil is only found in Lake Michigan and derives from the fossilized coral, Hexagonaria percarinata.  Slag glass that washes up on the shores of Lake Michigan are remnants from the Iron industry that once thrived in the region.  The molten slag was considered waste and was poured into the lake for disposal.  It now washes up as stones in colors ranging from bright turquoise blue (Leland blue) to greens, darker blues, purples and near black.  I combine these stones with copper and silver hand-stamped charms and beach glass from Lake Ontario (for reasons not known to me, there is hardly any beach glass produced in Lake Michigan, but it is in Lake Ontario).​

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