fossil

Turritella Fossil

Turritella (Class Gastropoda, Family Turritellidae)

Hardness: 3-4 (calcite) or 6.5-7 (if silicified like Agatized Turritella); Color: White, cream, tan, or brown; Luster: Dull to vitreous; Crystal Structure: Spiral/conical shells; Specific Gravity: ~2.7

Hardness: 3-4 (calcite) or 6
Color: White, cream, tan, or brown
Luster: Dull to vitreous

Identified July 18, 2026More fossil →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Turritella fossils are the remains of sea snails that lived from the Cretaceous to the present. They are formed through permineralization or replacement by minerals like calcite or chalcedony in shallow marine environments.

Uses & applications

Used primarily for fossil collecting, decorative jewelry (especially agatized versions), and as educational specimens for paleontology.

Geological facts

While commonly called Turritella Agate, the famous Wyoming material actually contains fossils of the freshwater snail Elimia tenera, not the marine Turritella, though they look nearly identical.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its elongated, high-spired screw-like shape. Commonly found in sedimentary rock layers such as limestone or shale in coastal regions and inland fossil beds.

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Crinoid Stem Fossil in Matrix

Phylum Echinodermata, Class Crinoidea

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Sedimentary Outcrop (Sandstone/Shale)

Sedimentary bedrock formation (variable composition)

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Chert with Fossil Brachiopod

Microcrystalline Quartz (SiO2) with Calcitic Brachiopod inclusion

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Fossiliferous Limestone

Fossiliferous Calcilutite / Biomicrite

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Fossiliferous Limestone

Biogenic Limestone with Brachiopod/Crinoid fragments

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Fossilized Crinoid Stem in Limestone

Crinoidea (Class) in Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) matrix

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