3.55" Agatized Fossil Coral - Florida

What we have for you is a spectacular specimen of agatized coral from the Basin Deposits of Florida. This fossil coral is Miocene (23.55-52 million years) in age, and was formed when fine sediments covered shallow coral reefs. As silica rich groundwater seeped through rock that was exposed as sea levels dropped, it replaced the calcium carbonate skeleton of the coral with chalcedony. There are a number of types of fossil coral present, but given that replacement destroys much of the original detail, more specific identification is quite difficult.

On this specimen, the chalcedony was polished to a glossy finish. There are small inclusions that glow green when exposed to long-wave UV light.