Chinese Ammonite Bag of 5

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these are small, polished ammonite slices often sourced from limestone deposits in China (specifically from the Hunan or Guizhou provinces). They are frequently sold in the trade as "Chinese Ammonites" and are popular for their distinct contrast and compact size.

Key Characteristics

  • Species: These are most likely from the genus Lituites or similar small ammonoids. They are often found in "thumbnail" sizes, like yours (which are roughly the size of a dime).
  • Age: Many of these specimens from China date back to the Ordovician period (around 450–480 million years ago) or the Devonian period. This makes them significantly older than the common Madagascar ammonites, which are typically from the Jurassic or Cretaceous periods.
  • Mineralization: The dark gray or reddish-brown "fill" inside the chambers is usually limestone matrix or calcite. When these are sliced and polished, you can clearly see the septa (the white dividing walls) and the siphuncle (the small tube that once helped the animal control its buoyancy).
  • Trade Name: You might also see them referred to as "Chrysanthemum Stones" in a broad cultural sense, because the suture patterns can resemble flower petals, though true Chrysanthemum Stone is a different mineral formation (celestite in limestone).

Why They Look This Way

These fossils have been cross-sectioned and polished to reveal the internal anatomy.

  • The Spiral: Each "chamber" you see was once used by the squid-like creature to regulate gas and float in the water.
  • The Center: The very center is the protoconch, the original tiny shell the animal was born with.