crinoid fossil studs

A casting of an especially tiny fossil whose radial symmetry evokes motifs of ancient jewelry. NATURAL HISTORY Crinoids are marine animals that belong to the phylum Echinodermata and are related to starfish and sea urchins. They first appeared in the mid Cambrian period (about 300 million years before the dinosaurs) and still exist today. Crinoids attach to surfaces as a long stalk made up of endoskeleton rings called ossicles. These studs were cast from a tiny ossicle fossil from the Ordovician period and came from the cliffs overlooking the Mississippi River near Saint Paul, Minnesota. METAPHOR What lasts. MATERIALS + DETAILS stud is approximately .2 inches | 5 mm recycled sterling silver | recycled 14k yellow gold | recycled 14k rose gold comes with sterling silver / 14k gold backings sold individually or as a pair