Upscaling the Petoskey Stone

Feb. 19, 2016

It’s the little coral that could…well, sort of. The famed Petoskey Stone, Michigan’s state stone, is a coral, a rock and a fossil, a pebble-shaped collectible composed of a glacially-deposited fossilized coral called Hexagonaria percarinata.

It’s also a favorite souvenir of tourists and a familiar sight in homes across the region, usually in the form of a paperweight or decorative item. One local company is taking the Petoskey Stone to another level, infusing it into sleek and eclectic home decor elements that are turning the Petoskey Stone into an upscale accent.

SIMPLE STONES

Thom Merta is the founder of Petoskey Stone Tile, Inc. in Charlevoix, a company born from Merta’s own love for the signature stone.

“I had been collecting Petoskey Stones and other Lake Michigan fossils since childhood,” Merta said. “When I returned home from Denver in 2005, I rented a house on Lake Michigan. Each morning and evening I used to take my dog for a walk along the beach, Dish from and past my years’ love Restaurant for Petoskey Week Stones include deviled eggs from Bistro Foufou. Photo credit: Nick was rekindled.” Viox

In 2007, he launched the company out of what he said was simple curiosity to see if other people would appreciate the stone as much as he does. They most definitely do.

“We cannot currently keep up with demand,” he said. “We are very fortunate.”

PRETTY PEBBLES

Petoskey Stone Tile’s biggest hits so far are their namesake tiles, as well as knobs for cabinets and drawers. While Merta said the company can make “pretty much anything you can think of,” those two items are the ones that really showcase the stone as something more than a good-looking knickknack.

One of Merta’s favorite things about working with the stones is their range of color. “Each and every Petoskey Stone is unique,” he said. “Some are brownish and others gray; the ‘eyes’ can be large or small, dark or lighter, with more pronounced white outlines. And some of the jewelry-quality stones, which we incorporate into our tiles, have a myriad of colors inside, depending on the minerals deposited at the time of formation, from blues to oranges.”

TIDAL TREASURES

Most people’s experience with Petoskey Stones is finding a singular treasure on a beach or giving up looking and buying one at a souvenir shop. Merta’s Petoskey Stones come from a range of sources to keep up with the company’s product demand.

“We get them mostly from quarries, where we have quarry rights,” he explained. “We also buy from various vendors and sometimes from people who just have buckets of them sitting around and want to make a little extra money.”

TILE TRENDS

In addition to two dozen designs of cabinet knobs and handles, three new tile designs are on the way from Petoskey Stone Tile, including one that incorporates the popular subway tile trend that echoes big-city style.

“The other designs are squares and rectangles of various sizes and depths,” Merta said. “We are using a new process to give the stones a floating look that’s conveyed by a transparent medium.”

There are all levels of Petoskey Stone decor for what Merta said is a wide range of clientele; whether you’re looking for the type of stone you’d find on a Sunday walk, or a more rare variety, he’s got you covered.

“Many of our clients prefer a higher quality stone with distinguished ‘eyes’ and relatively little imperfections,” he said, “but others are just happy to have stone tiles that remind them of a wonderful time spent in this beautiful area.”

For more information, visit Petoskey Stone Tile Inc. at petoskeystonetile.com or call them at (231) 590-6876.