Florida Fossil Pearl

by Rhonda
(Florida)

The pearl I found is a fossil pearl, I’m certain, as I found it in the sea shell “mulch” which we have used extensively in our landscape, along with Florida field stone full of many different colors of agate. I have found many, many fossil shark’s teeth, as well as fossilized bones and coprolite in the shell also. My neighbor across the street is an older lady who has fossil hunted for decades all over Florida, and she has a massive collection that any museum would be lucky and proud to have. I took the pearl over to her last night and she was absolutely amazed at my find. Our shell is dug from the Caloosahatchee Formation, which is roughly 1.2 million years old.

I had been in the back yard planting some plants in a shell-covered area and was in the process of picking up my tools and debris. I looked down and saw what I initially thought was a seashell with the outside worn off, revealing the pearlescent rainbow colors. I almost didn’t pick it up because we have so many of those pretty shells I couldn’t possibly keep them all. Well, thank goodness I didn’t ignore it, because the pearl is absolutely beautiful. I am hopeful that I will be able to find out more about it, including what, if anything, I need to do to preserve/protect it.