Cleoniceras sp.

6-7"

These neat ammonite fossils have been polished to a bright shine, bringing out their intricate suture patterns.

As ammonites grew, they added new chambers to their shells to make room for their bodies, with each chamber separated by thin walls called septa. The points where these walls meet the outer shell form the wavy lines known as suture patterns, visible just beneath the surface.

In these specimens, the outer chamber has been carefully hollowed out to reveal those internal details. Normally, these chambers would fill with sediment over time and solidify. Preparing ammonites like this takes a lot of careful, hands-on work, but the end result is a striking and detailed fossil.

Ammonites lived during the periods of Earth history known as the Jurassic and Cretaceous. Together, these represent a time interval of about 140 million years. The Jurassic Period began about 201 million years ago and the Cretaceous Period ended about 66 million years ago.

Ammonites are one of the most common fossils that exist today. Before hitting extinction along with the dinosaurs, the squid-like creatures roamed the oceans in schools, using an organ called a siphuncle to jet through the water. Their remains are simply beautiful and a cornerstone of any nautical or fossil collection.

Its name comes from the Ancient Egyptian God, Amun, who was often depicted wearing ram horns. The spiral shape of the fossil is reminiscent of those horns, hence the name. In Ancient Greece, Ammonite was thought to possess the power of Zeus. All throughout history, humans have been captivated by these beautiful fossils and enraptured by their unique spiral pattern. Today, we here at Paxton gate are still enchanted by these wonders of nature.  

According to metaphysics: All fossils are thought to support transformation and change. They are believed to assist you in moving from the old to the new and be receptive to the fresh, innovative forces. Ammonites in particular have a few different meanings depending on the coloration. They have an incredibly diverse coloration, with brown and black being the primary energies emanating from this fossil. Brown is often linked to grounding and stability, while black represents protection and transformation.