Description
The face of this amazing pyritized ammonite has been polished off to reveal its perfectly pyritized inner chambers! This fabulous fossil ring is from our very own Geoclassics jewelry line! Bezel set in sterling silver.
Dimensions: Ring face is (.61″/15.75 mm ~ tall) x .(52″/13.21 mm ~ wide) (rise from the band is .28″/7.1 mm)
Weight: .31 ounces/8.7 grams
Size: Adjustable (as is, ring is a size 7½
Some 350 million years ago, these relatives of the modern chambered nautilus shell flourished in warm, shallow seas. When great droughts led to their extinction about 65 million years ago, they were buried by layers of sediment from land erosions. It took many years for the shells of these ammonites to fossilize, a process by which the original shell material was replaced by the minerals in the sediment that buried them. While some of the earliest ammonites resembled long, straight chambered cones, most of them were coiled discs with complex patterns of ridges and suture lines. The suture pattern, important to species identification, shows where the inner chamber walls meet the outer shell. The animal that once lived in this shell resided near the entrance in the largest chamber.
Genus / Species: Rondiceras sp.
Age: middle jurassic / callovian (approximately 160 million years old)
Location: Mikhaylov, Ryazan Oblast, Russia
The name PYRITE is derived from the Greek word for fire, given the name because striking two pieces together can produce sparks. With a hardness ranging from 6 to 6.5, this metallic
yellow iron sulfide has earned the familiar nickname, “fools gold”. Pyrite demonstrates many crystal patterns, one of the most spectacular being large perfect cubes. The ancient Incas
used pieces of pyrite as mirrors. This mineral is believed to enhance willpower and help overcome bad habits. It can also help boost creativity and establish a “can-do” attitude toward
life. Pyrite is found world-wide, with important deposits in Spain, Italy and Peru.
