{"product_id":"opalised-plesiosaur-tooth-lightning-ridge","title":"Juvenile Opalised Plesiosaur Tooth","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAt just 2.25ct, this tooth belonged to a creature that was still finding its place in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is an opalised Cretaceous plesiosaur tooth recovered from Lightning Ridge, New South Wales. The morphology is consistent with a younger, juvenile specimen, a plesiosaur in the early stages of what would have become a life of dominance in the waters of the Cretaceous period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eWhat makes this piece particularly rare is the environment it came from. Lightning Ridge during the Cretaceous was a freshwater to near shore coastal setting, not open ocean. Plesiosaurs were ocean hunters. Finding evidence of one in this environment is unexpected and adds another layer to what is already an extraordinary piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe tooth is complete and exceptionally preserved. Delicate ribbing runs the length of the curved form, exactly as nature laid it down over one hundred million years ago. The opalisation has replaced the original material with silica, preserving every detail with a clarity that defies the passage of time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eLightning Ridge is one of the few places on earth where opalised marine fossils are found. Each one is a window into an ancient world that existed beneath what is now the outback of New South Wales. This tooth is part of that story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eContact us to enquire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAuthentic. Rare. Unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Opal Hub Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53712639066388,"sku":"OHA-26-OF-0002","price":3800.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0992\/6443\/0356\/files\/Baby_Ples_1.jpg?v=1787550775","url":"https:\/\/opalhubau.com\/products\/opalised-plesiosaur-tooth-lightning-ridge","provider":"Opal Hub Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}