⏳ History and Origin:
Orthoceras is a marine fossil dating back more than 400 million years, belonging to an ancient cephalopod (related to the nautilus or squid). It lived during the Paleozoic, mainly in the Silurian and Ordovician periods, in shallow seas.
The name "Orthoceras" comes from the Greek orthos (straight) and keras (horn), in reference to its straight, elongated shell.
Discovered mainly in Morocco, where vast deposits are exploited, but also in Scandinavia, Central Europe and North America.
Highly prized for its historical and aesthetic value, it is often used in decoration, fossil jewelry, or fossil lithotherapy.
📋 Mineralogical sheet:
| Property | Details |
|---|
| Scientific name | Orthoceras |
| Kind | Fossil cephalopod, order Orthocerida |
| Geological period | Ordovician → Devonian (~485 – 360 million years ago) |
| Origin / Deposits | Morocco, Europe, North America, China |
| Size | From a few cm to more than 30 cm depending on the species |
| Shape | Long, straight, conical shell, segmented into chambers (siphon) |
| Shell / Texture | Black or gray fossil limestone, sometimes polished for display |
| Lifestyle | Free swimming or semi-swimming, predator of small marine animals |
| Environment | Shallow seas, reefs and marine shelves |
| Discovery / Fossilization | Fossilization in limestone-rich marine sediments |
| Scientific significance | Study of ancient oceans, biostratigraphy and evolution of cephalopods |
| Use / Collection | Decoration, collection, jewelry, paleontological study |
| Value / Conservation | Depends on size, state of preservation and polishing |
| Virtues / Lithotherapy | Grounding stone, strengthens emotional stability and concentration |
| Purification | Quick clear water, gentle fumigation |
| Recharging | Moonlight or soft sun |
| Short story / Anecdote | Orthoceras means "straight horn" in Greek. These fossils are highly prized in Morocco, often polished into decorations or semi-precious stones. |
