Opalized Belemnites

Opalized Belemnites
Cretaceous
Coober Pedy, Australia
Belemnites are extinct marine cephalopods with an appearance somewhat like a squid. Unlike modern squids they exhibited an aragonite phragmacone in their tail. It is this phragmacone that fossilized and was replaced with opal found only in Cooper Pedy, Australia. The present 150-million-year-old belemnites display flashing green and purple opal contrasted by an attractive salmon pink colored sandstone matrix. A handsome display specimen. Measuring 2 ¼in and 1 ¼in respectively; Matrix measuring 5 ½ X 5in