This ammonite-shaped locket was made during the Heroic age of geology in England. Mary Anning had been digging up fossils in Lyme Regis and Darwin was synthesizing his ideas about evolution. People were beginning to question the age of the Earth. The bible said one thing, but suddenly scientific research was strongly suggesting something else. Ammonite fossils were commonly exchanged or sold as souvenirs, and apparently they were used as inspiration for jewelry, too. Any paleontologists out there?
MATERIALS: 14k gold (tests), glass, new 14k gold chain
AGE: c. 1850
CONDITION: Very good - a few small dents near the locket (not especially noticeable thanks to the engraved details and ridges of the shell)
SIZE: 1" length including the bale, 1/2" width, 18" chain