Dating from the Cretaceous Period at a majestic 120 million years old, this gorgeous Madagascan Ammonite Pair is an exciting piece of history. This particular Ammonite pair, of the Cleoniceras species, measures 15cm at its widest. These wonderful fossils display intricate swirling patterns and brown and caramel tones. This fossil consists of an Ammonite cut and polished to create a striking pair. Both of the pieces display highly polished surfaces and a natural shell. The fossil pattern reveals gorgeous, colourful internal calcite chambers. What Are Ammonites? Ammonites are a group of extinct molluscs which somewhat resembled a shelled squid when they were alive. These ancient sea creatures had tentacles like the modern octopus, and spiral shells like Nautilus creatures. ago with the dinosaurs during the Cretaceous-Tertiary Mass Extinction Event. The fossilised remains of these sea creatures are perhaps the most popular fossils on the market today. How Old Are Ammonites? This ammonite dates back to the Cretaceous Period, meaning it is 120 million years old. These ammonites are examples of fossils from the Cretaceous period, but there are many ammonites such as Perisphinctes ammonites which are even older fossils from the Triassic period, at 248 million years old! Where Do Ammonites Come From? This ammonite was originally found in the jungles of Mahajanga on the North West Coast of Madagascar. Madagascar is famed for its riches of fossils and natural diversity, and a wide variety of fossils and crystals can be found there. How Were Ammonites Fossilised? When an ammonite creature died, it became fossilised in the process as follows: Ammonite bodies sunk into the seabed sediment, and over time the many sediment layers hardened into rock, preserving the fossils within. Throughout this process, bacteria decomposed the ammonite bodies. This decomposition affected redox conditions in the marine environment, leading to dissolved minerals such as carbonates and phosphates becoming less soluble in water. The minerals were precipitated out of the water, and enveloped the ammonite in a solid concretion, which ensured the fossil and its ammonite shell was preserved for thousands of millennia. Some minerals such as calcite seeped into the ammonite remains, leading to mineral replacements and ornately coloured interiors. The rock covering the ammonite fossils was then either naturally eroded, or excavated by humans, to expose the fossils. Sacred Geometry Of Ammonite Spirals In sacred geometry, the spiral shape has powerful spiritual significance, and signifies growth and expansion. As ammonite shells display distinctive spiral shapes, ammonites embody this spiritual meaning of growth too. An ammonite shell is a perfect example of the sacred Golden Mean Spiral, a symbol of the infinite Fibonacci Sequence and the revered Golden Ratio. As a result, ammonites are believed to be strongly symbolic of order and perfection in not just the natural world, but the entire universe.