Description

Some 40-60 millions years ago, an ancient salt water sea covered what is now the northwestern United States. A snail of the turritella specie lived in its shallow waters. The shell of this snail is a small, long tapering spire with numerous whorls. Today the fossil remains of the turritella shell are found on the edges of Delaney Rim in southcentral Wyoming. The shell material has been completely replaced by agate and chalcedony. This turritella agate has been tumbled and polished for weeks to give it a slick, shiny surface.