Rock Identifier
Wampum / Quahog Shell Fossil Fragment (Mercenaria mercenaria (Calcium carbonate, CaCO3)) — fossil
fossil

Wampum / Quahog Shell Fossil Fragment

Mercenaria mercenaria (Calcium carbonate, CaCO3)

Hardness: 3-3.5 on Mohs scale. Color: White to grey with distinctive purple, violet, or deep blue banding. Luster: Vitreous to dull, porcelain-like. Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture). Specific Gravity: 2.7-2.9.

Hardness
3-3
Luster
Vitreous to dull, porcelain-like
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Physical properties

Hardness: 3-3.5 on Mohs scale. Color: White to grey with distinctive purple, violet, or deep blue banding. Luster: Vitreous to dull, porcelain-like. Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture). Specific Gravity: 2.7-2.9.

Formation & geological history

Formed as the hard, protective outer shell of the hard clam (Quahog), composed of layers of biogenic calcium carbonate (aragonite) deposited over time in marine coastlines.

Uses & applications

Used historically by Native American tribes in the Atlantic Northeast to craft sacred wampum beads for ceremonial, diplomatic, and trade purposes. Currently used in artisan jewelry and indigenous crafts.

Geological facts

True wampum was crafted exclusively from the purple and white sections of Quahog clam shells. The purple parts were particularly valuable due to their relative scarcity on the shell.

Field identification & locations

Identified by its shell growth rings, layered aragonite structure, and natural dark purple edge or interior gradient. Commonly found washed up on coastal beaches along the North American Atlantic coast.

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