DISCOVER LIFE'S PRECIOUS GEMS!

Hardness:  1 – 2.5

Fern Fossils carry an interesting story.

Fern Fossils originated from fern trees in the Palaezoic era around 250 to nearly 550 million years ago…. (a long time ago). The Fern Fossil journey was a very long one, beginning when a fern frond fell from the tree landing in swamp water.  Over the years, other plant and animal life made its way into the swamp, covering the fern.

The years went on and the swamp dried up and became land.  The elements of nature along with animals traipsing around pushed the fern leaf further into the ground. Over millions of years, the once fern frond turned into a black rock. The impressions (designs) are a result of years and years of plant life and other debris becoming permanently embedded in the fern.

Interesting Tidbits:  From years of soaking up the sun’s energy (in its formative years) to more years of energy exposure, this  fossilized fern turned into large pieces of coal.  In more recent years, the debris was removed from the “coal”  and then it was sent off to power plants to be turned into heat and electricity.  So, fern fossil has more than an intriguing past and fascinating appearance.  Maybe you will think of  fossilized fern the next time you turn on a light.