BJ's Lapidary and Collectibles

04/05/2026

Happy Anniversary, Bob & Judy!

01/25/2026

An interesting read.

Most people do not realize this, but a single drive across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula can take you across more than two billion years of Earth’s history.

Start near Ironwood and Wakefield, where you are standing on the Canadian Shield, rock roughly 2.4 to 2.7 billion years old. This is the deep foundation of North America, the worn-down roots of ancient mountains that once rivaled the tallest ranges on Earth.

Drive east toward Houghton and the Keweenaw, and you cross the Midcontinent Rift, formed about 1.1 billion years ago when the continent nearly split apart. Lava poured out here in massive flows, leaving behind thick volcanic rock and the copper that shaped the region’s identity.

Continue through Marquette and Munising, where layers like the Au Train Sandstone formed about 500 million years ago at the bottom of a warm, shallow tropical sea, back when Michigan sat close to the equator.

And as you approach St. Ignace and the Mackinac Bridge, look up at Castle Rock. You are seeing the same Silurian-age dolostone as the Niagara Escarpment (the main Escarpmet ridge is a bit north), made of ancient reef built rock, formed in a shallow tropical sea about 430 million years ago.

That same pattern of sandstone to the north and Niagara Escarpment to the south continues east to Whitefish Point, Sault St Marie and Drummond Island.

One drive across the U.P. takes you across the ancient core of a continent, a failed continental breakup, tropical seabeds, and the stone remains of a prehistoric reef system.

Image: NASA Satellite, Annotations by Brian Calley

01/01/2026

12/24/2025

Extending heartfelt Christmas wishes from our family to yours. ~ Bob & Judy

11/02/2025

November is here and cold weather has set in. From now until Spring we will be closed. We will open for appointments.
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11/02/2025

Didn’t get to stop in the store this season IT’S ALRIGHT! We are open every day by appointment. Just call 906-569-3241 to set up a time.

11/01/2025

Final Saturday of the season! We are open from 10-5 to serve your lapidary and unique gift needs.

10/26/2025

Open today from 10-4!

10/18/2025

The 🍁fall vibes 🍁are rapidly vanishing! Go to the UP today and while you're there, visit the store and check out its current treasures.🍂