Pyrophyllite Preserved Fern Fossil from Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

Paleozoic Fern / Plant Fossil - Saint Clair, PA, USA.
Age: Paleozoic > Carboniferous > Pennsylvanian (310 million years old)

This is the exact specimen you will receive.

Believe it or not, the colors are natural!    Nature and time are the artists.   It is this exceptional state of preservation that gives the Saint Clair, Pennsylvania fossil ferns their great exquisiteness.  It's hard to comprehend 100 years, let alone 3 million times that many, but these ferns died well over 300 million years ago!  

They fell into a swamp where silt, mud, and sediments amassed on top of them.  Low temperatures, high pressure, lack of oxygen, and a lot of time helped these ferns slowly mineralize into Pyrite.  Pyrophyllite (Aluminum Silicate) replaced the Pyrite at an ensuing stage, creating a bold white color. Any orange or gold tint which may(or may not) be present was caused naturally by the presence of iron ores.  This unique type of fossilization makes these specimens perfect for mineral collecting as well as fossil collecting.  

The locality where these were mined from contained dozens of species, so look closely and you may very well find something rare.  More commonly found are Alethopteris, Neuropteris, Pecopteris, and Sphenophyllum.  Seed ferns went completely extinct around 73 million years ago, while the dinosaurs were still around!  

We NEVER paint, repair, or touch our fossils up.   They may, however, be very  lightly sprayed with a clear protective fixative.

Feel free to contact us with any questions, thanks!.