CAL2753 Price: $40
CALCITE in Mercenaria permagna
Rucks’ Pit, near Fort Drum;
Okeechobee County, Florida, USA
Cabinet (10.4 x 9.2 x 4.5 cm)
This is a good, single Mercenaria “side” clam, lined with small yellow translucent calcite crystals. “Side” clams are found in matrix lying on their sides, rather than in an upright, living position, and usually have smaller (but better inside coverage of) calcite crystals. Both bivalve halves are present on this specimen, but ground water action has dissolved most of the upper half. The calcite is fluorescent blue-green under shortwave and longwave UV light (see photo), and even phosphoresces for a few seconds when the UV light is extinguished. These specimens are Plio–Pleistocene in age (1–2 million years old).
