Ammonite Vanity Box

Elegant ammonite fossil vanity box. Great for home decor as a statement piece and adds a beautiful touch of natural history to any location.

Ammonites were marine mollusks that lived around 240 to 65 million years ago, during the same period as dinosaurs. They are closely related to modern-day cephalopods like squid, octopus, and the nautilus, but they went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period.

Ammonites are famous for their spiral, coiled shells, which could vary greatly in size—from less than an inch to over 9 feet. The intricate patterns on their shells, known as sutures, make them highly recognizable and popular among fossil collectors.

The shells of ammonites were divided into chambers. The animal lived in the outermost chamber, while the inner chambers were filled with gas or fluid, allowing the ammonite to control its buoyancy and move up and down in the water column.

Ammonite fossils are found all over the world, from deep ocean sediments to high mountain ranges. Their widespread distribution and rapid evolution make them important index fossils, helping geologists to date the rock layers in which they are found.