Indonesian Stone Fossilized Shell

A coil of grey stone with a rust stain at one edge, where it has been resting.

This fossilized shell comes from Sulawesi, Indonesia, and is stone. Spiral fossils like this are commonly the remains of coiled marine mollusks, preserved as minerals gradually replaced the shell. Here a thick ridged whorl winds toward a small tight center. The surface is dark grey, glossy in places, with warm brown streaks and a few cracks, and the outer coil ends in a broken edge. It is 7.5 inches wide and 7 high.

Old enough to have seen the ocean change its mind.