Gem Proterozoic Collenia Stromatolites from Mary Ellen Mine

Stromatolites from the Mary Ellen Mine in Minnesota, commonly known as Mary Ellen Jasper, are prized by jewelry-makers owing to the often stunning color displays. This one has had BOTH sides and all edges polished to make a stunning display from any aspect, and exhibits vivid red along with blackish hues.

Scientifically known as Collenia undosa, the microorganisms involved were likely to have been photosynthetic bacteria that were busily expiring oxygen during deep geological time that would ultimately constitute the modern atmosphere on earth (of the Proterozoic Era) when the Earth rusted. Numerous gorgeous jewelry pieces could be made from this one.

Stromatolites have persisted to the modern day in such places as Shark Bay, Australia where they continue their billions of years old lifestyle. While this piece would make a fine present for any natural history buff, anyone who appreciates art would also be glad to get thus wonderful specimen of the Earth's oldest fossils as a gift

This slab of stromatolite was cut and polished perpendicular to the individual finger-like colonies. The stromatolites are preserved in a red agate and both sides of the slice have been polished to a mirror finish. Note the detail of the laminae in each small digitate colony. The age of this stromatolite is estimatesd to be 2.2 to 2.4 billion years old, from a time in the Precambrian when stromatolite was both unbiquitous and abundant on earth. Even today, we should remember that prokaryotes are the most abundant life on earth both in numbers of organisms and overall biomass. We humans and all other eukaryotes with nuclear DNA (animals, plants, fungi) are guests (and often food) in a prokaryotic world -- nature assures nothing is wasted.