For lovers of antiques and all things historical, what other way to seal your commitment to your beloved than with a Dinosaur ring! Dinosaur Bone rings are fast emerging as alternative rings either for weddings or as personal adornments. Considering that dinosaurs lived millions of years, it is natural for you to wonder if these dinosaur bone rings are real at all.
Are Dinosaur Bone Rings Real?
So, are dinosaur bone rings real? Yes, there are real dinosaur bone rings made from Gem Bone or Agatized Dinosaur Bone. Gem Bone is a fossil of an animal bone (In this case a dinosaur fossil) that contains gem quality minerals.
Jurassic Park has inspired an artistic innovation in the jewelry industry – dinosaur bone rings. They are a testament to the craftsmanship of artists who, guided by gemologists, transform dinosaur fossils into timeless fashion pieces.
The materials used originate from different dinosaur species and undergo processes like mineralization and fossilization, depicting an impressive synergy between art, science, and history. These rings are subject to ethical sourcing norms and legal regulations, ensuring the preservation of our rich geological past.
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The process of their creation is no arbitrary task, but one that chiefly involves diligence in handling these historical gems. While the rings may seem like an unusual venture, the fashion industry has embraced them. They appeal to trendsetters and those with a knack for unique artifacts, merging prehistoric past with contemporary fashion. Now, dinosaur bone rings can be procured from platforms like Etsy, bridging the past to the present through a digital medium.
While it is unlikely each ring would pass through institutions like the Smithsonian Institute or the American Museum of Natural History for a stamp of approval, invoking their names puts dinosaur bone rings in the realm of artifacts imbued with historical significance.
So while dinosaur bone rings may be an eccentric addition to one’s jewelry collection, they indeed are real, and they offer a rare chance to wear a trace of the prehistoric era.
Read on for more information about Dinosaur Bones Ring, where they can be found and how to know if your dinosaur bone ring is real.
Dinosaur Bone Rings: What Are They Made Of?
Dinosaur Bone rings are made from Gembone. Gembone is actually not a bone, but a combination of minerals that replaced the dinosaur bone over millions of years ago.
The “Gembone” is the result of fossilised bone from dinosaurs in which the cellular structure has been replaced with quartz, leaving the bone structure intact. A gembone has quality minerals. It is sometimes also referred to as mineralized dinosaur bone, silicified dinosaur bone and agatized fossil.
A fossilized dinosaur bone may contain different minerals including agate, jasper and calcite. The dinosaur bone colour is determined by the combination of minerals present when the fossilized bone formed.
Larger intact bones are not used for jewellery because they have more value as specimens and would be sold to museums, universities or collectors. Agatized dinosaur bones that have fractured and broken into smaller chunks, usually due to weathering, erosion or some other geologic event, have no real scientific value but make great stones for jewellery.
Some dinosaur bone colours are rarer than others with multicolour cells in a nice pattern being the most sought after. High quality dinosaur bone has a hardness of 6-7 on the Moh’s scale and takes a great polish for jewellery. Top grade gem dinosaur bone is eventually going to become impossible to get because, as you might have guessed, they aren’t making it any more.
Gembones can be found in specific areas. However, the best of the gembones are mostly found in the four corners region of the Colorado Plateau in the USA (where the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado touch are).
What Does Gembone Look Like?
To a layman’s eyes Gembone, if found in the “wild” looks just like a pretty typical rock. Until it is cut and polished, its true beauty isn’t apparent and may not be recognised. Gembone comes in different sizes and shapes, both big and small.
However, the colour and pattern of the dinosaur bone is determined by the combination of the minerals present when the fossilized bone was formed. This is what define each piece and makes each piece unique.
Is It Legal To Use Dinosaur Bones For Jewellery?
Fossils are legal to own and distribute. In the United States, if a fossil is found on your property, you can do whatever you want with it. However, it is illegal to collect dinosaur bones on US state or federal lands
How do I know If A Dinosaur Bone Ring Is Real?
There is really no authentic way to confirm if the dinosaur bone ring you are buying is real or not once it is polished.
First, the best way to avoid fake dinosaur bones is to go and collect them yourself. However, always make sure to follow the laws and have permission to collect before proceeding. In the United States, typically a good way to follow the law is through the collection on private land with expressed permission from the landowner.
Views of paleontologists do range on private ownership of fossils with many not condoning or endorsing. However, if you are going to buy, do everything possible to ensure the fossil was legally collected.
In Sum, if you are going to buy a dinosaur bone ring, then buy only from credible sources or better still supply the dino bone for the ring yourself.
DINOSAUR BONE RING CARE
Dinosaur bone may have survived for millions of years, but it is not indestructible and neither is silver or gold rings. If you know you are about to perform an activity that could scratch or damage the ring, take the ring off and put it away until you are done. Taking just a few seconds to remove your ring could save you a big headache or repair bill.
It is also advisable to remove your dinosaur bone ring before swimming in a chlorinated pool or hot tub as the chlorine can damage the finish of the stones and cause the silver to tarnish.
You should also consider removing your ring before swimming in the ocean because the saltwater may dull the finish of the silver and the sand is as abrasive as sandpaper!
Note that any time you swim in a pool, lake, river or ocean where the water is chilly that your finger size will usually shrink and it is very easy for your ring to slip off and be lost. You may want to consider ensuring your ring just in case it gets lost or stolen.
To keep the gembone looking beautiful, avoid exposure to acidic elements and polishing agents. Cleaning or soaking in alcohol is not recommended. Instead, wipe your dinosaur bone ring with a soft cloth every so often to remove the oils and keep your ring looking its best.
If it becomes dirty or the accent stones get caked with lotions and oil, take an old toothbrush and a mild soap and gently scrub the ring until the build-up is gone. The more you do this frequently, the easier it will be to remove the gunk!
Never put your dinosaur bone ring or any inlay ring in an ultrasonic ring cleaner. The combination of heat, chemicals and vibration will eventually break down the epoxy and the dinosaur bone inlay will fall out of your ring.
Eventually your ring will have some dents and scratches in the silver and possibly some chips in the dinosaur bone. For some people this can be a year or others 10 years or more- it all depends on how you care for it.
How Do Dinosaur Bones Get Fossilized?
Fossils are formed and found in the crust, which is the thinnest layer, that forms the Earth’s surface. The majority of the rocks found in and on the Earth’s crust are sedimentary rocks. They form when sediments, like silt and sand, collect and harden, which over the course of millions of years, results in thick layers of sedimentary rock.
Dinosaur fossilized bones are formed when a dinosaur died in an environment that had lots of moving sediment, like an ocean, riverbed or lake. One such place is the benthic zone — the deepest part of a body of water. This sediment buries the bones, offering its body some protection it from decomposition.