5.6" Sphenodiscus Ammonite with Inlaid Chrysocolla - South Dakota

Here is an absolutely stunning display piece, a 5.6" wide Sphenodiscus ammonite from South Dakota that has been artistically inlaid with vibrant blue Chrysacolla in the suture pattern. The ammonite was collected from the Late Cretaceous Fox Hills Formation in South Dakota.

The ammonite exhibits wonderful preservation and has been highly polished, revealing the beautiful suture pattern that lies beneath the shell. Powdered Chrysocolla was then very carefully inlaid in the suture pattern, a process that would have taken the preparator many hours. Comes with a display stand.

These 70 million year old ammonites lived when South Dakota was a shallow inland sea. It was found preserved in a concretion that was split open. It then had to be hand prepared to remove the hard rock surrounding it from the shell, a very time consuming task.