Northport, Michigan

Find your favorite stone.

Explore Michigan stones, book a hands-on class, or take home a one-of-a-kind piece made in Northport.

Book a class Explore Michigan stones Shop online

A special 3-hour hands-on fundraising event

Petoskey Stone Ornament Workshop

Create your own Petoskey stone keepsake from start to finish.

Join us at Northport Trading Post for a special hands-on lapidary experience. Please contact us to schedule your date!

During this approximately 3-hour workshop, you'll work with a Petoskey stone slab and learn several of the techniques we use right here in our shop.

What you'll learn

Stone drilling – Learn the proper techniques and tools for safely drilling stone.

Ring saw cutting – Get hands-on experience using a ring saw to cut your Petoskey stone slab into a Christmas ornament, Michigan shape, or another simple design.

Sanding and polishing – Learn how to shape, smooth and polish your piece to bring out the beautiful fossil pattern hidden inside.

At the end of the class, you'll leave with a finished Petoskey stone creation that you made yourself and a better understanding of the lapidary process.

A class with a purpose

Proceeds will help support Northport Trading Post's continued growth and our efforts to bring the Michigan Geological Discovery Center to life.

Class lengthApproximately 3 hours
LocationNorthport Trading Post
MaterialsIncluded
Experience requiredNone

Space is limited

Advance registration is required. Come make something uniquely Michigan while helping us build something uniquely Michigan.

Contact us to schedule

Find it. Shape it. Bring it to life.

Identify a Lake Michigan find, take a hands-on class, use the polishing wheel, browse pieces made in Northport, or plan a visit.

A class participant holding a stone at a cabbing machine in the Trading Post
At the wheel in Northport

Make a finished piece and polish a stone

Spend two hands-on hours with Scot making a finished piece and polishing a stone you bring or choose in the shop.

$75.00

  • 2 hoursOne guided session
  • Up to 3Small-group instruction
  • Your choiceBring a stone from home, or choose one at the shop.
  • Take it homeLeave with something you made and a stone you polished yourself.
Check class times

Put a name to the stones you find

The Trading Post's book and reference cards help you identify common finds, understand their stories, and keep exploring when you are back at the beach.

Rockhounding: A Beginner's Guide to Rock Hunting Around Lake Michigan $17.95
Shop the book Learn & Explore

One-of-a-kind jewelry

Every stone brings its own color and pattern. See a rotating mix of exact pieces and recent work.

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Need help with a stone you found?

Rent time at a polishing wheel, have a stone polished, ask for help identifying it, or talk through custom work.

  • Use the wheels yourself
  • Have your stone polished
  • Find out what you found
  • Custom pieces & commissions
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