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About Helmintholith - Lumachella
The very rare Helmintholith from the Karwendel was created around 230,000,000 years ago and is therefore probably the oldest organic gem that is found worldwide. The Helmintholith consists of petrified mother-of-pearl which was formed by shellfish but mainly Helmintholith (Carnites floridus) in the Thetys. This means that the ammonites are also the namesake for this rare organic rock.
Helmintholith is next to amber the oldest organic rock and the oldest organic gemstone created by animal life.
The primeval sea, which was at the height of the equator at that time, was a wild sea with numerous predecessors of predatory fish such as Saurichthys, an ancestor of sturgeon (smelting scales) and various ichthyosaurs such as the Plesiosaurus and the Nothosaurus. Remains of all these prehistoric beings have been found near the Helmintholith . A primeval sea with an impressive flora and fauna, with many hunters with strong pines that the ammonites could bite and thus took care of the isolated shell fragments.
The special thing about the Helmintholith compared to other fossil remains is the type of fossilization. Only in a few places has the shine been preserved over millions of years.
Our Ammolite’s journey began at the level of the equator in the depths of the primeval ocean. There they deposited the shell fragments and became part of the sea floor. Over the course of millions of years, the sea floor was pushed further north until the collision between the African continent and the European plate finally pushed the sea floor upwards. Around 135 million years ago, the Alps began to unfold and the sea floor was pressed up to 2800m above the sea floor. You can well imagine the enormous energy that is required for this and it explains why our precious ammolites are found high up in the Alps today.
A lucky factor was that the rock did not get too hot during the unfolding process. At over 400 degrees the shine is lost and this happened practically everywhere when the limestone mountains were unfolded.