Book 5, Question 43
Sparkly Stone! Why Do Some Fossils Sparkle or Change Color?
When a bone or shell becomes a fossil, minerals can slowly replace or fill the original material. Different minerals can add different colors, and some can sparkle. That is why some fossils look shiny or colorful.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 5
More fun facts
- Most fossils are dull brown or gray, but some shimmer.
- Ammolite is a rainbow-colored gem made from the fossil shells of ammonites, ancient sea animals.
- Its shimmer comes from thin layers of nacre, also called mother-of-pearl.
- Not all ammonite fossils have bright colors.
- In Australia, miners found dinosaur fossils made of opal, a sparkly gemstone.
- Those opal fossils revealed a new dog-size plant-eating dinosaur, Weewarrasaurus.
Sources: Science News Explores, National Geographic
Questions kids ask
Can a fossil be a gem?
Yes. Ammolite and opal fossils are both used as gems.