RED FOSSIL JASPILITE 36mm NATURAL 16g TUMBLED BANDED IRONSTONE BIF PRECAMBRIAN - $18 - (Weaverville, CA)

GREAT OXYGENATION EVENT:MICHIGAN BANDED IRON JASPILITEThis rich, brick-red jasper banded with silvery oxides is actually a trace fossil, remarkably ancient, preserving within its striking layers a precise record of one of the most consequential events in the history of life, the creation of Earth'sbreathable atmosphere. Reaching us across a span of 1.9 billion years, this Precambrian talisman shows rugged contrast between the the three layers of red chert jasper, rust-colored hematite, and silvery-gray iron magnetite. Each layer is a time capsule, arecord of sediments laid down on the sea floor by the activity of Earth's first living inhabitants, cyanobacteria. You will receive the jaspilite tumbled stone pictured, perfect for display, meditation, or as a special pocket stone or gift. Measuring 1.4 inches (36 x 24 x 12mm), it weighs 16.3g and ships in a large, clear gem box within a gift box and drawstring bag.At the time this stone formed, the atmosphere of Earth, devoid of oxygen, was a toxic fume of methane, carbon dioxide and ammonia that would smother lifeas we know it with the first breath. Early photosynthetic bacteria that evolved in the seas absorbed carbon dioxide and released oxygen, like modern plants. But the seawater of Earth's young oceans held great quantities of dissolved iron, and for millions of years, the free oxygen produced by cyanobacteria was captured by dissolved iron ions, sifting down to the ocean floor as the silvery layers of iron oxides you see in this stone.For cyanobacteria, life was boom or bust: when an excessive bloom led to depletion of resources, the population crashed, and the seas once again became oxygen-poor. Instead of rust-colored hematite or silvery, iron-rich magnetite, the sediments that drifted down to the sea floor were quartz based, with just enough iron to give them the rich, brick-red tint of this stone's jasper layers. But once again, for cyanobacteria, life was good. The population flourished, again releasing a…

Posted in Weaverville, CA, Collectibles
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