Collection Gift Guide: Creatures of Yore

Christian Gulliksen

12/02/2002

Green River Stone Co.
The Green River Stone Co. unearths its fossils and stone from a private quarry in southwestern Wyoming. Deposited over 50 million years ago in the shale sediment of an ancient freshwater lake, the specimens and stone products include artistic murals, tables and floor tiles. Consider outfitting your entire kitchen with fossil-embedded countertops; it’s an eye-catching and historically interesting alternative to stainless steel or granite, and has the novelty of measuring its antiquity in millions of years. All Green River products are prepared in accordance with state and federal laws, and within the ethical guidelines of the paleontological community. Prices for fossil murals, such as that shown above, range from $5,000 to over $20,000. Stone tables, inset, sell for between $3,000 and $5,000. (Click image to enlarge)

Green River Stone Co., 435.753.4069, www.greenriverstone.com

Geodecor Fossil Specimens
The technical name for the Jurassic marine reptile pictured below is ichthyosaur, suitably impressive for the extinct creature that lived 170 million years ago. It can be yours for $18,000. Los Angeles–based GeoDecor relies on an international network of paleontologists and experts to supply museums, such as the Smithsonian Institution, and private collectors with an array of fossil specimens; co-owner Christine Lindgren recently hand-delivered the skull of a saber-toothed cat to a Scottish museum. (Click image to enlarge)

GeoDecor, 310.322.4043, www.geodecor.com