2198 RARE TEXAS PAIR Ammonite 730gm LG 5.3\" Calycoceras Tarrant Co Fossil 133mm For Sale

RARE SPECIES Calycoceras tarrantense found in Woodbine formation Tarrant County, Texas. Has Ridged back and subtle pastel colors. He breaks a lot of them in prep, cutting and polishing them. As they are much more brittle than Madagascar. Fine for shipping and display, but really hard to prep, that is why no one else attempts these. They have about 6-8 hours of work in each one.Weight (lbs): 12 ozWeight (gm): 344 gramsSize (inches): 4.0\" x 3.25\"Size (mm): 100mm x 82 mmMine location: Woodbine Formation, Tarrant County, TexasDescription: Ammonite Split, Cut and Polished. 2198 RARE TEXAS PAIR Ammonite 730gm LG 5.3\" Calycoceras Tarrant Co Fossil 133mm 2198 RARE TEXAS PAIR Ammonite 730gm LG 5.3\" Calycoceras Tarrant Co Fossil 133mm

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Description

Imagine holding in your hand a 110 million year old fossil.  Some ammonites are much older than that, up to 450 million years old.  Even older than the dinosaurs.  Oceans at the time were teeming with life.  Predators were everywhere.  And it was a live fast, or die hard world for the ammonites.  In fact, ammonites closely resemble modern squids, octopus and the chambered nautilus.  Ammonites were carnivores as well. 

Fossils were once found only in museums - NOW you can OWN one!!!  You can hold in your hand a part of the ancient fossil record from the time the dinosaurs roamed the earth.

This is the NEW batch from a Texas Collector.  I brought in for Tucson with some of the best color and deepest cavities/pockets around, excellent batch!!!  Super nice crystals, absolutely the best I have seen in years.

Description:  Ammonite WHOLE Polished.. 
RARE SPECIES Calycoceras tarrantense found in Woodbine formation Tarrant County, Texas. Has Ridged back and subtle pastel colors.   He breaks a lot of them in prep, cutting and polishing them. As they are much more brittle than Madagascar. Fine for shipping and display, but really hard to prep, that is why no one else attempts these. They have about 6-8 hours of work in each one.

Weight (lbs):  1.7#

Weight (gm):  730 grams

Size (inches):  5.3\" x 3.8\"

Size (mm):  133mm x 96 mm

Mine location: Woodbine Formation, Tarrant County, Texas

Item Number: 2198

Retail value: about ammonites -

Closest living relative - Octopus, Squid, Cuttlefish and it\'s closest cousin the Nautilus.     

First appeared - in shallow seas 450 million year - in a catoclysmic event in the Cretaceous, with the dinosaurs about 65 million years ago.

Began life - less than 1 mm in diameter.  About the size of a period in this sentence.  But they grew - reported to grow 400% bigger than - comprised of chambers growing as the ammonite did.  Making 13 new chambers each year.  The ammonite lived in the last section, called the living segment.

Medieval Europe - Ammonites were thought to be petrified snakes.  They were called \"snakestones\" or \"serpent stones\".  Ammonites were said to be evidence for the actions of St. Hilda and St. Patrick - who drove the snakes out of Ireland.  In ancient times, traders would carve the face of a snake into the wide end of the ammonite fossil and sell them to the public.

The name Ammonite - comes from their spiral shape.  The fossilized shells somewhat resembled tightly coiled rams\' horns.  Pliny the Elder (79 A.D. near Pompeii) called these fossils - ammonis cornua (\"horns of Ammon\") .  Because the Egyptian god Amman was typically depicted wearing ram\'s of ammonites - 

Cleoniceras - These most colorful ammonites come from Madagascar, off the coast of Africa.  Cleoniceras is the most common type in Madagascar.  99% of the ammonites found in Madagascar are this species, with a smooth shell and angled segments.  The animal actually lived in the very last segments.  Variations in price are due to color differences and how many crystal cavities (or open \'cave like\' structures) in the segments.  On average 110 million years old. 

Cymatoceras - Wide body Madagascar ammonites.  Some stand on their own and do not need stands.  Much rarer than the regular narrow body Cleoniceras.  More like a Wide Body Nautilus. (Limited quantities)

Perisphinctes - Less than 1% of Madagascar ammonites are this type.  Ridges are on the back with a complete different growth pattern.  The chambers are also more compact and of a different shape.  Frequently one of the most brightly colored.  On normal ammonites, the middle is thicker.  On Perisphinctes the inner coils are smaller which is a rare occurance among ammonites.  These always command a high price.  (RARE) 

Fire ammonites -  Also from Madagascar.  Notoriously hard to photograph.  Fire ammonites have a gorgeous jewel red flash to them.  In fact this jewel red flash is so hard to photograph that we have to take over 100 pictures, just to get 10 good photos.  Similiar to opals in their brilliance.  Occasional flashes of blue, green and purple can be seen.  Fire ammonites look much better in person than in the photograph.  (LIMITED QUANTITY)

Rainbow iridescent - Running from blue to white in base color, iridescents have a multiple color personality all their own.  These are hard to photograph as well.  Stunning blue, green, red and pink can be seen as they are moved in the light. Not as hard to photograph as the FIRE RED, but still hard to photograph.  Again these are found in Madagascar only rarely.  (LIMITED QUANTITY) ALMOST SOLD OUT!!

Pyrite ammonites - Pyrite actually replaces the animal shell.  A very odd occurance.  (Calcite replaces the animal shell in most of the other ammonites.)  Pyrite ammonites are species Kosmoceras. Kosmoceras frequently have a opalized shell on the outside.  Occasionally this shell is rainbow iridescent.  Stunning colors of red, green, blue and other bright colors.  In Russia, they use a chemical solution to remove the shell on one-half of the ammonite.  This exposed the pyrite segments inside.  These are only found in Russia, in the Volga River area.  Most are around 165 million years old.

Orthoceras - Straight ammonites from Morocco.  Frequently found with round Morocco ammonites called goniatites.  About 400 million years old, some of the oldest ammonites.  (moderately common)  Big ones are rare.

Goniatites - Curved ammonites from Morocco.  Small ones are moderately common.  Large ones up to 12\" are much rarer and in higher demand as decorator pieces. The reason?  The wide ones frequently stand by themselves.  Usually grey, black and white in color. Sometimes in earth tones.  Goniatites are frequently 400 million years old, some of the oldest ammonites.  (small ones moderately common, large are rarer - especially ones over 6\") ONLY a few large ones in Tucson 2012, they found very few this year.

UK ammonites - We occasionally have Rainbow colored (2-3\") Psilocercy from Dorset England.  About 200 million years old.  And small black & white Promicoceras from Lyme Regis, Dorset, which rarely exceed 1\".    We have a few golden black Dactiloceras from Whitby, UK.  About 165 million years old. (VERY LIMITED QUANTITY) SOLD OUT!!!

On a recent trip to Germany - I was able to acquire a few Orthosphinctes from Malm gamma, Bischberg.  Nice greenish yellow 2-3\" ammonites on matrix. (LIMITED QUANTITY) SOLD OUT!!!

Check our other listings for these and other types of fine 2012 Tucson Ammonite - WIDE Body with D shaped segments inside.  (Regular Cleoniceras have S shaped segments) These are from a new areas of Madagascar and I am not sure how much longer they will last.  Very deep crystal cavities.  (Limited quantity)

Phylloceras - WIDE Body with an odd V shape segment.  Also from the new areas of Madagascar.  (VERY Limited)

Hemitetragonites and Neosilisites - Both are Medium Body not as wide as Cymatoceras, nor as thin as Cleoniceras.  Some where in the middle - Goldielocks would say, \"Just right\".  They are usually presented WHOLE.  Unique suture patterns on the outside.  And most interesting they have flattened sides.  They others are rounded. Really cool, some stand without a stand.  (Very Limited supply)

Melchlorites - Similiar to above but with a cross band on the sides and a rounded shell.  Medium body.  (Limited supply)

Desmoceras - A Medium Body Ammonite similiar to the thin Cleoniceras, but wider body with a tighter coil of the shell. Usually with V- Shaped segments. Unlike the Cleoniceras which S-Shaped segments. ( Limited supply)

Douvilleiceras - Unusual in that it has a RIBBED back, 145 to 165 million years old.  Medium bodied, with \"D\" shaped segments. RARE and sell fast!!!

MOROCCO - Wow did I find some great ones!!!

Shoenbacchia - These you have to see in person.  They have great color and crystal cavities that go all the way through to the OUTSIDE.  Madagascar ones do not do that, all the crystals are inside the shell on the Madagascar ones.  About 110 million years old, and the crystals are superb.  I have carried these before and too be honest, I was disappointed in the sales.  I guess the pictures did not do them justice.  As they are hard to photograph.   I have placed a orange card behind them so you can see throught the crystal cavities to the other side.  Okay now I am going to be mean:  Since they are low margin and they sell great at shows.  I am putting half on and half for shows.  If they sell at shows I am pulling the listing.  (So get them while they last.)

Notoceras - Odd ribbed shell ones for High Atlas Mountains, Morocco.  1-3\" on matrix.  A lower priced, but unique ammonite.  About 170 million years old. (Limited best I saved for last!!!  Back by popular demand.

Heteromorph - These are the strangest animals around.   A long \"J hook\" then a ammonite type shell.  At least 117myo.  (I am trying to find more research, as I recall reading somewhere that some species could be over 450 million years old and a precurser to the other ammonites.)  There is some speculation they also partially buried themselves in the mud and held their tentacles in unique way to feed, thus the shape.  This is all speculation.

Normally I only see 18-24\" ones that are between $800 and $2000.  However I found only 10 small ones in the 3-4\" range.  They are less than $149 and I will NOT take less or offer them on sale.  They are priced very fairly especially for the Ladies Coop -  Most ammonites come from Madagascar, off the coast of Africa.  Madagascar has all the problems that that the African continent has.  One way you and I can combat this is to buy our ammonites from a \'Ladies Coop\'.   This is where I get my ammonites.  Not all dealers buy from this source. We will get to the \'ladies coop\' in a minute.

A few facts about Madagascar - Average per capita income is $1000 to $1553 per year.  With an average family size of 6.6. 

That makes the average family income in Madagascar $6,600 to $10,000 per year.  Enough for the basics, but not much else.  Imagine trying to feed your family of 6-7 people with only $6600 per year?

Madagascar families have hard working people, they don\'t want a \'hand out\'.  But folks, we can give them a \'hand up\'.  The men go out and do the digging and rough surface mining.  Hot sweaty, back breaking work. The women at the \'ladies co-op\' work together as a team.  Splitting or cutting the ammonite down the middle with a diamond saw.  Then polishing the inside to a high gloss and then polishing outside to show the shells\' true variety.  This can take up to 6 hours per ammonite.

Today 90% of the animals on Madagascar are found no where else.  Even in ancient times the ammonites of Madagascar\'s shallow sea were unique.  And no other local produces ammonites of such wide ranging colors.  Of the affordable ammonites, Madagascar produces the best and most colorful.

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Box Size USA Worldwide* Canada**

SMALL Flat Rate Box

8-1/2\" x 5\" x 1.5\"

21cm x 12cm x 3.5cm

(About the size of an old VHS tape)

$6.96

$24.95
(18 +/- Euros)

$19.95 cad

SMALL/MEDIUM Priority Box

7\" x 7\" x 6\"

17cm x 17cm x 15cm

(Domestic & Intl. 2#/1kg limit)

$10.88

$49.95
(36 +/- Euros)

$32.95 cad

MEDIUM Flat Rate Box

5\" x 8\" x 11\"

12cm x 20cm x 27cm

(International 10#/4.5kg Limit)

$13.87

$59.95
(43 +/- Euros)

$41.95 cad

LARGE Flat Rate Box

5\"x 12\" x 12\"

13cm x 30cm x 30cm

(International 20#/9kg limit)

$17.97

$79.95
(57 +/- Euros)

$55.95 cad

NEW POSTAL RATES AS OF 1-27-2013

*Worldwide $1usd = 1.4 euros ( exchange rate)
**Canada (1USD = +/- 1cad)

If you want combined shipping PLEASE email us

For simplicity sake we have gone to 4 box sizes.  You need to add a minimum 1\" (2.5cm) to EACH side of ALL minerals for bubblewrap.    1\"inch bubblewrap top, 1\" bubblewrap bottom, and 1\" on each side.  So a 2\"x2\"x2\" mineral becomes 4\"x4\"x4\" with bubblewrap.

Insurance - Insurance is now included with the shipping price.  And may be added to the above shipping price depending upon how fragile and expensive the item is.

Parcel post - US customers, we no longer ship parcel post. It saves a few pennies sometimes, however it now takes 8 to 10 days to get your shipment. Which is too long for most of you to wait.

International shipping -can take 3 to 4 weeks.  Your country\'s customs can keep and inspect packages as long as they like.  WE can to NOTHING about that.   Canadian customers - we no longer ship United Parcel Service - UPS.  Yes initially UPS is slightly cheaper, however we have had terrible problems with UPS making customers get a customs broker.  This has cost the customer over $100 extra.  On two other occasions they have sent back packages, because the address was street instead of drive (the customer inputs the address, not us).   So we no longer will ship UPS.  For some reason the US postal service does not do all this.

Combined shipping -  If you want combined shipping PLEASE email us.  WE have no way of knowing when you are finished offerding.  sends automatic invoices.  will charge the maximum shipping PER item, if I do not override the invoice.  So offer all you like, but let us know \"You want combined shipping.\"  And we will send you a combined the next day to pay.

 If you want combined shipping PLEASE email us

Stands -are shown for display only and are NOT included in the sale. 

Repairs - All fossils have some repairs. Being buried under tons of rubble tends to be rough.  None comes out of the ground perfect and whole.  Almost all fossils have repairs.  One of the reasons I photograph the back is so that you can see the repair work that has been done.  Generally you can not tell from the front that an ammonite/fossil has been repaired.

Almost all of the fossils you see in a musuem have had some type of repair work done.  Only tiny fossils have minimal repair work on them.  The folks in Madagascar do a very professional job, however occasionally natural cracks are visible on the surface.  This is part of the natural beauty of the fossil and not considered a defect.  Simply hit \'supersize\' on the picture to get a bigger view. 

Photography - Ammonites, especially the opalized ones are not easy to photograph.  I photograph outside in full sun for true color rendition.  Occasionally clouds come over that make the color less than it really is.  On rare occasions I supplement with a flash to highlight details.   Lighting ammonites correctly will bring out their best color.  Halogen works the best.  The hand or finger in the photo is to give you a comparision of size.  We realize it is hard to tell the size of an ammonite by the picture alone.  Keep in mind different monitors display colors differently.  We edit with ammonite next to us, so we can get as close to the correct color as possible.  However when we move the very same laptop from living room to office sometimes the colors look slightly different even on the same computer.

Measurements - All ammonites are measured from the tip to across.  This is the industry standard.  Then we measure across. 

100% positive response!!!!

 

Conclusion -

Fossils, and ammonites in particular, at one time were only found in museums.  And cost hundreds to thousands of dollars.  Today YOU can own a piece of the fossil record.  An animal that lived over 100 million years ago.

 

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On Mar-04-18 at 14:00:28 PST, seller added the following information: