Agatized dinosaur bones also called Gem Bone or 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.
A myriad of minerals add color to agatized dinosaur bone. Irons added reds, browns, blacks, sulfur added yellows, copper caused
greens and
blues, manganese caused pinks and pastels, and the silica cause whites and grays.
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 agatized dinosaur bone vertebrae when digging in Utah.