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Home Science Geology

Fossilized gastropod replaced by precious emerald

Mihai Andrei by Mihai Andrei
July 2, 2013
in Geology, GeoPicture
Reading Time: 1 min read
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Yes, what you are looking at is a natural, though extremely rare phenomenon – quite possibly unique in the world. This fossilised gastropod from the Colombian mine of Gachala has been completely replaced by precious emerald.

Beryl (Emerald) replacing fossil

Formed from hydrothermal fluids in a shear zone interacting with the rock they passed through, the fossil in the host black shale was transformed. If you look carefully you can also see many small crystals of pyrite, a common inclusion in emeralds from this country. Despite its small size (1.3×1.1×0.9Cm), the preservation is near perfect. This fossil is, as far as I know, unique.

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Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Andrei's background is in geophysics, and he's been fascinated by it ever since he was a child. Feeling that there is a gap between scientists and the general audience, he started ZME Science -- and the results are what you see today.

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