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4.2" Fossil Clam (Mercenaria) With Fluorescent Calcite - Rucks Pit, FL
This is a 4.2" wide, fossil clam (Mercenaria permagna) from the the famous Ruck's Pit quarry in Florida. The interior of the clam is filled with golden-yellow calcite crystals which can be seen throughout the specimen.
Comes with an acrylic display stand.
Comes with an acrylic display stand.
About Ruck's Pit
Fossils from Rucks Pit, located near Fort Drum in central Florida, are famed for their stunning preservation and unique appearance. The site, once part of an ancient shallow sea, is best known for its fossilized clam shells (Mercenaria permagna) from the Pleistocene epoch—roughly 1.5 to 2 million years old. These fossil clams often contain beautiful golden-yellow calcite crystals, formed when mineral-rich groundwater permeated the shells and deposited crystalline calcite in the hollow interiors. The striking contrast between the rough, weathered shell and the sparkling crystal interior makes them highly sought after by collectors.
Rucks Pit was originally a commercial limestone and shell mine, and fossil collecting began as a byproduct of the mining operation. Once word spread about the crystal-filled fossils, it became a popular destination for amateur fossil hunters and mineral collectors alike. However, access became limited after the mine ceased public operations in the mid-2000s, making authentic Rucks Pit fossils increasingly rare and valuable. Today, they are prized not just for their scientific interest, but also for their aesthetic appeal, often displayed as natural mineral-fossil hybrids.
Fossils from Rucks Pit, located near Fort Drum in central Florida, are famed for their stunning preservation and unique appearance. The site, once part of an ancient shallow sea, is best known for its fossilized clam shells (Mercenaria permagna) from the Pleistocene epoch—roughly 1.5 to 2 million years old. These fossil clams often contain beautiful golden-yellow calcite crystals, formed when mineral-rich groundwater permeated the shells and deposited crystalline calcite in the hollow interiors. The striking contrast between the rough, weathered shell and the sparkling crystal interior makes them highly sought after by collectors.
Rucks Pit was originally a commercial limestone and shell mine, and fossil collecting began as a byproduct of the mining operation. Once word spread about the crystal-filled fossils, it became a popular destination for amateur fossil hunters and mineral collectors alike. However, access became limited after the mine ceased public operations in the mid-2000s, making authentic Rucks Pit fossils increasingly rare and valuable. Today, they are prized not just for their scientific interest, but also for their aesthetic appeal, often displayed as natural mineral-fossil hybrids.
$145
SPECIES
Mercenaria permagna
LOCATION
Ruck's Pit, Fort Drum, Florida
FORMATION
Nashua Formation
SIZE
Clam: 4.2" wide
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#264737
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