November 5, 2023 Lance Hansmann

Turritella Agate - That's Not My Name!

Turritella Agate

Known for its snail fossils entombed within the agate, the stone is brown, translucent to semi-transparent, and found in the Green River formation in Wyoming. It is the most popular stone from that formation. The white snail fossils sharply contrast the dark brown background. This is where the person who discovered the stone made the mistake in the naming of the stone. The discoverer thought the fossils were from the Turritella genus, when in fact they are from the freshwater snail Elimia tenera, which is a member of the Pleuroceridae family.

Misnamed Agate

Unfortunately, by the time the error was discovered, the name Turritella had already been printed in magazines, journals and stuck in geologist’s minds. Today, there are only a few that know and refer to the stone by its appropriate name.

Three Facts About Turritella Agate, or Elimia tenera:

1. Turritella Agate rough is scarce - if it’s a stone that you like to keep available, buy it in quantity now.

2. The snails preserved in the stone are actually *not* Turritella. They’re of the Elmia tenera species. The stone was named before detailed inquiry, and the name stuck.

3. Not all rough Turritella Agate can be cut into beads. The material must have formed completely around the fossilized snail shell. Rough material that’s good enough for beads needs to be consistent in hardness and quality.

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Comments

Lily - October 12, 2021
Would love a few mineral specimens as shown. Any availability?

Thank you,
Lily

Ken Rogers - September 13, 2021
I’ve collected rocks since I was a kid, and I remember, as a kid, being enthralled with this fossilized Turritella Agate rock. To earn spending money, I made jewelry by epoxying this, and other tumbled stones to findings, and making necklaces. Then, when I was in the Army, stationed in Japan, I made jewelry for the guys to send home to their “girl”, and the money I made allowed me to buy my first Nikon F, SLR camera and lenses.

As I said, earlier, “Turritella” Agate’s rich brown & black colors, of fossilized sea shells, that are millions of years old, had always enthralled me, and I learned that these mollusks, have relatives that are alive today. One thing that makes this gem fossil very special is, in general when sea shells fossilize, they form (soft) limestone and marble, or in sandstone. But in this rare occurrence, these sea shells ended up becoming fossilized in (hard) Agate, and they are only found in the state of Wyoming.

Ricky DS - August 19, 2021
Mary,

Thanks for asking. Unfortunately, we do not sell the rough material.

Mary mollen - August 16, 2021
Can you purchase the stones before they are cut into beads, the Turiria Agate?

Turritella Agate - That's Not My Name!