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Turitella Agate is the popular name used for a brown, translucent to semi-transparent, fossiliferous agate found in the Green River Formation of Wyoming. It is very easy to recognise because it contains large fossil snails that stand out in a white-to-tan colour that contrasts with the brownish agate.

This piece weighs 30g and measure appropriately 5.5cm x 3.5cm.

This organic material was incorrectly named decades ago when the christener thought that the spectacular spiral-shaped gastropod (snail) fossils entombed within the stone were members of the marine Turritella genus. That was a mistake. Instead, the fossils are of the freshwater snail, Elimia tenera, a member of the Pleuroceridae family.

Regardless of what you would like to call this material it is definitely a wonderful fossil record of some of the life in the freshwater lakes of the area.

Before the correct name was realised and widely published, the material became quite popular and the name "Turritella" went wild in lapidary magazines, catalogs, and exhibits. Today it is typically seen without corrective note in all of those sources, along with websites, online auctions, and computer software. Only a fraction of the people who have collected the material, cut it into cabochons, sold it, bought it, or worn it in jewellery have any knowledge that Elimia is a more appropriate name.

About 50 million years ago, during the Eocene epoch, the young Rocky Mountains were almost finished growing, and the landscape of what is now parts of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming consisted of rugged mountains separated by broad intermountain basins. Rains falling on the slopes of these mountains ran off of the land and collected into streams that carried sand, silt, mud, and dissolved materials down into the lakes that occupied the intermountain basins. Over time, these sediments began filling the lakes, and many types of fossils were preserved within them.

Abundant plants and algae grew on the margins of these lakes, providing a perfect habitat and food source for Elimia tenera, the freshwater snail. When the snails died, their shells sank to the bottom of the lake. The snails were so prolific that entire lenses of sediment were composed almost entirely of their shells.

After these layers were buried, groundwater moved through the sediments. Small amounts of dissolved microcrystalline silica in the groundwater began to precipitate, possibly in the form of a gel, within the cavities of the snail shells and the empty spaces between them. Over time, the entire mass of fossils was silicified, forming the brown fossiliferous agate (also known as chalcedony) that we know today as Turritella agate.

The Green River Formation one of the best-known rock units in the world for its fossils. Some geologists call it a "lagerstätte," a name given to a rock unit that is exceptionally rich in fossils. Spectacular plant, insect, fish and animal fossils have been found in the Green River Formation.

Turitella Agate is a spiritual crystal, deeply connected to the earth and home, to one’s personal roots and ancestry, even the events of one’s past. It is a survival stone, one of strength and protection. Ancient life held within its form lends the power of wisdom and healing.

Fossils:-

Fossil, (from Latin fossus, literally ”having been dug up”) are the mineralized or otherwise preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms. In ancient times they were believed to be a gift from the stars and were revered by many cultures. Because of their age they have been used throughout the centuries as a talisman for protection and long life.

Fossilization is actually a rare occurrence because organic materials tend to decompose and the process requires the relatively quick preservation of bodily remains. Normally, the remains need to be covered by sediment or trapped in resin as soon as possible. However there are exceptions to this, such as if an organism comes to rest in an anoxic (without oxygen) environment at the bottom of a lake. The oldest known structured fossils date from 3.5 billion years ago. There are several different types of fossils and fossilization processes including permineralisation, mold or replacement fossils, compression fossils, resin fossils and trace fossils. Many fossils available on the market are from Morocco, which has vast deposits of Devonian Limestone which date back three hundred fifty million years ago.

Fossils are a wonderful tool to assist you in moving from the old to the new and to be receptive to the fresh, innovative forces that are available to you. Fossils can assist you in your quest for transition, transformation and personal growth, helping you to understand the process of change. They can help you instil quality and excellence in your environment.  Ammonites can help you to gain perspective on the present, integrate information about the past or potential future, or aid in reorienting  yourself after entering altered states of consciousness. Ammonites are especially useful for past life recall and to contact spirit guides. Traditionally they were used to honour ancestors and to connect to ancient sources of knowledge.