Chalcedony ps. After fossil sponge (2016 find)

Item Description

Weird looking two-sided fossil pseudomorphs from recent finds in Morocco. Two-toned, translucent, brown and whitish chalcedony has replaced a sculptural globular colonial sponge. The darker brown chalcedony is restricted to the smaller sponges on one side and adds a striking visual aspect to this piece. This one has a strange biomorphic head shape look to it, with two offset bulging brown "eyes" and a brown mustache or fat "lips". Originally marketed in Europe as being from Smara, Western Sahara, these are actually from these obscure open-pit phosphate mines, that have also produced snow-white quartz geodes (MINDAT). The deposits are Upper Cretaceous - Eocene age, 100-34 MYA.