Judging quality
Judge enamel completeness, root integrity and serration sharpness. Repaired tips and glued roots are common on larger teeth; a raking light shows filler as a dull patch.
Fossil
Fossil Shark Tooth
Sharks shed teeth continuously, which is why they are the most abundant vertebrate fossil on earth. Color comes from the minerals in the burial sediment — river-tumbled Florida teeth run jet black, Moroccan phosphate teeth tan and grey.
Care
Stable and easy. Rinse and dry; avoid acid.
History & lore
Before the seventeenth century these were glossopetrae, 'tongue stones', believed to be petrified serpent tongues until Nicolas Steno correctly identified them in 1667.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Fossil Shark Tooth
- What is Fossil Shark Tooth?
- Sharks shed teeth continuously, which is why they are the most abundant vertebrate fossil on earth. Color comes from the minerals in the burial sediment — river-tumbled Florida teeth run jet black, Moroccan phosphate teeth tan and grey.
- How hard is Fossil Shark Tooth and what is it made of?
- Fossil Shark Tooth is a Fossil-family mineral with the composition Ca5(PO4)3(OH,F). It crystallizes in the hexagonal system and rates 4.5-5 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in black, grey, brown, tan.
- Where does Fossil Shark Tooth come from?
- Notable localities for Fossil Shark Tooth include Morocco, South Carolina, USA, Florida rivers, USA, Peru.
- How do you tell good Fossil Shark Tooth from filler?
- Judge enamel completeness, root integrity and serration sharpness. Repaired tips and glued roots are common on larger teeth; a raking light shows filler as a dull patch.
- How do you care for Fossil Shark Tooth?
- Stable and easy. Rinse and dry; avoid acid.
Related stones
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.