Dinosaur Bone Information

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The bone used in our dinosaur bone rings is fossilized dinosaur bone.  Fossilized dinosaur bone occurs when the fallen dinosaur is quickly covered in an oxygen deprived environment such as mud, silt or ash which slows down decay.  Over time the natural bone is replaced by various minerals taking on the shape of the bone and sometimes even the cellular structure of the bone marrow spaces.  In rare instances the organic dinosaur bone material is replaced by agate and becomes agatized dinosaur bone, also known as gembone.  Gembone occurs in various colors ranging from earthtones and grays to vibrant yellows, oranges and reds.  It is estimated that 95% of the agatized dinosaur bone found is composed of browns, grays and tans.  Only 5% are the more colorful blues, oranges, reds, whites, and yellows making dinosaur bone in these colors valuable and rare.  The cell walls vary in color but the most desired is the well defined black spider webbing that contrasts nicely with the vibrant colors of the cells.  The best gembone for jewelry use comes from the Morrison Formation on the Colorado Plateau in the Four Corners Area of the Western United States and dates back to 150 million years ago. The Morrison Formation is a distinctive sequence of Late Jurassic sedimentary rock which has been the most fertile source of dinosaur fossils in North America.

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The dinosaur bone used for jewelry is usually smaller chunks or shards broken off of the larger bone by pressure, weathering and erosion.  Because of this it is difficult to determine what type of dinosaur the bone for your ring came from.  Intact specimens are far too valuable to be cut up and made into jewelry.  Intact bones have a much greater value as specimens and would be sold to museums, universities or collectors for top dollar.  Collecting dinosaur bone fossils is illegal on federal or state land so most of the dinosaur bone available for purchase today comes from old collections or is found on private land.  We only use genuine dinosaur bone in our rings and jewelry and it is sourced from a reputable dealer located in Utah.

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Dinosaur Bone Ring Care

Your new dinosaur bone ring is fairly durable but requires some special care to keep it looking great.  The most important thing you can do to prolong the life of your dinosaur bone ring is to use common sense on when to remove your ring.  Taking your ring off before any activity that may damage it is the most effective way to prevent cracking or chipping the dinosaur bone inlay.  There are times when wearing any ring, not just an inlaid dinosaur bone ring, is risking damage to the ring and a possible heath hazard to the wearer as well.  Any object your ring comes into contact with that is harder than the metal or bone in the ring will scratch or ding the metal and chip or crack the dinosaur bone.  You should not wear your bone ring on a finger adjacent to another ring.  The two rings will grind against each other and damage the inlay and the metal.  Stacking them on the same finger is fine (bridal set) but be aware that they will rub against each other and over time a matte finish will appear on the sides that touch.  Dinosaur bone is not fragile but does require that you take some care when wearing it.  When in doubt take a second to simply take the ring off.  When not wearing your ring, store it in a cloth bag or box where your other jewelry cannot ding or scratch it.  Doing so will prolong the life of your ring and extend the period you can go before it needs to be refinished to remove the scratches and dents.  Ladies don't throw your jewelry in the bottom of your purse and men don't put your ring in your pocket with your keys! Every few months take a moment to carefully examine your ring for damage, loose stones or worn prongs.  Get any damage repaired asap!

 

Never put your dinosaur bone ring or any inlay jewelry in an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner.  Chemicals and heat from the ultrasonic cleaner may negatively affect the epoxy over a period of time.  Also, avoid contact with household cleaners and solvents as these may break down the epoxy and could also oxidize the silver turning it black.  Do not soak your ring in cleaner, water or oils overnight.  Prolonged exposure to chemicals, water or oils may weaken the bond between the stones and the epoxy used to hold them in the inlay channel.  You should remove your ring before swimming in a chlorine pool or hot tub.  High levels of chlorine can cause tarnishing or slowly remove the finish on the dinosaur bone and the metal.  If tarnishing occurs, you should be able to remove it with a polishing cloth but do not dip the ring in a tarnish removal liquid.  If your dinosaur bone ring has gemstones accenting the inlay, you can clean the gemstones by brushing them with an old toothbrush and some soft soap.  Simply brush the gemstones from the top and the bottom until all the build up is removed.  Clean your ring regularly to remove sweat, lotions and body oils that can dull the sparkle and shine of your ring.  The more often you do this, the easier it will be to get the gunk off and your gemstones will have much more sparkle. 

 

Finally, when the surface of the dinosaur bone or the metal loses its luster, return the ring to us for refinishing.  If your bone ring has some damaged inlay it is important to have it repaired immediately.  Water, oils, lotion or chemicals can seep in through chips and cracks in the stones and ruin the epoxy resulting in expensive repairs if all the inlay comes loose.  If your budget doesn't allow for immediate repair, put the ring away and don't risk doing further damage by wearing it.  We suggest returning your Hileman dinosaur bone ring to us for all repairs.  Most jewelers are not experienced with lapidary or inlay methods and do not have the dinosaur bone to match the bone in your ring.

  

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