⏳ 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:
| Appearance | Orthoceras Fossil |
|---|
| Category | Fossil / Ancient marine cephalopod |
| Geological age | Devonian (~400 million years ago) |
| Chemical composition | Mainly calcite (CaCO₃) and sometimes pyrite or silica depending on fossilization |
| Crystal system | Rhombohedral (calcite) |
| Hardness (Mohs) | 3 – 4 |
| Density | 2.6 – 2.9 |
| Color | Black, gray, brown, white (shapes in contrast with the host rock) |
| Glow | Matte to glassy |
| Transparency | Opaque |
| Special feature | Fossil in the form of an elongated, conical shell, ancestor of squid and cuttlefish |
| Main deposits | Morocco (most famous), Scandinavia, North America |
| Discovery / History | Used since ancient times as a decorative object and talisman of longevity |
| Use | Lithotherapy, collection, jewelry, decorative objects (plaques, sculptures) |
| Virtues (lithotherapy) | Promotes grounding, stability, ancestral memory, longevity and self-confidence |
| Associated Chakras | Root (anchor), Solar Plexus (inner strength) |
| Astrological signs | Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo |
| Purification | Distilled water, gentle fumigation (sage, incense) |
| Recharging | Moonlight, geode or quartz cluster |
| Short story | Orthoceras is an ancient fossilized marine cephalopod , a symbol of longevity, anchoring and ocean wisdom , often used in lithotherapy and decorative objects. |
