Chalcedony pseudomorph / fossil after Gastropod (Hippochrenes volgensis)

Item Description

We picked this piece up from a good friend just last month in Tucson, and it's one of the best examples we've had to offer. This small cabinet sized specimen is enticing due to the fact that it's an unusual pseudomorph and a fossil all in one. This piece features several beautifully fossilized spiral Gastropod (Hippochrenes volgensis) shells which have been completely replaced by gemmy smoky colored Chalcedony on matrix. The largest shell measures 3.7 cm long. Most of the shells are nearly complete, and have been exposed by sandblasting away the surrounding host rock. It's incredibly difficult to find ONE well-preserved fossil shell of this material on matrix, but to have MULTIPLE fossils on matrix is a big deal according to our friend. A rare opportunity to pickup an attractive and desirable pseudomorph / fossil specimen. The piece has a saw mark on the bottom so it sits beautifully on its own without the aid of a base or clay. For reference, the species Hippochrenes volgensis has only been known for a little over 30 years, as it was first described by Moroz & Yermokhina in 1991.