Everything you want to know about Turritella Agate

Turritella Agate is the name of a brown to black, semi-transparent mineral found in the Green River Formation of Wyoming, USA. It is easily recognizable from the light-colored snail fossils found within the stone.

This gemstone increases our connection to the natural world, especially the smaller animals and plants. It teaches us how to become better caretakers of our planet. Turritella Agate aids our development in learning to respond to situations and not to react blindly.

It has many beneficial physical healing properties, works as a love and relationship enhancer, and supports wealth improvements!

Turritella Agate Origin

As beautiful as this stone is with its spectacular spiral-shaped fossils, it was misnamed when it was discovered. It was initially thought that the gastropods were members of the marine Turritella genus. Since then, it has been found that they are Elimia tenera, a freshwater snail.

Photo of Turritella Fossils, long snail-like shells
Turritella shells

In fact, Turritella Agate is a complete misnomer; it is neither Turritella nor a genuine Agate. It was classified as agate because its inclusions resemble true agate’s banding (called chalcedony). Of course, these bandings are now known to be fossils instead.

Photo of an Agate showing the differently colored layers of those stones
True Agate and its distinct banding

However, before these erroneous details became known, the wrong name was already very popular. Even though it is technically incorrect, the name Turritella Agate has stuck. Only those in the know (and now you) know its correct name.

Turritella Agate Properties

This stunning gemstone is found in sediment deposited in lakes in the Rocky Mountains area approximately 50 million years ago. 

Algae and plants grew along the edge of these lakes, making a perfect environment for the freshwater snail Elimia to live and breed. When the snails died, they fell to the bottom of the lake, so numerous were they that whole layers of sediment were composed entirely of their shells.

A close-up of Elimia tenera, the fossils that give Turritella Agate its special look
Elimia tenera

Over time, as groundwater traveled through the sediments, it deposited dissolved microcrystalline silica in the cavities of the shells and the spaces between them. Eventually, the entire volume of fossils became silicified, forming the crystal we know now as Turritella Agate.

Photo of Turritella Agate, a brown to black gemstone with many enclosed fossils

Turritella Agate Spiritual Meaning

A stone of strength and protection, Turritella Agate provides courage and security in times of change and transition, helping to erase fear and anxiety. We can be vulnerable and open to new experiences while staying safe, serene, and composed.

It minimizes the desire for things that are not really needed. 

Encouraging humility, this crystal helps us to keep our egos in line, emphasizing our value and interconnectedness. It reminds us of who we are at our core and how to stay positive in times of hardship.

Turritella Agate is deeply connected to Earth and nature as a spiritual crystal. It is also associated with the home and one’s ancestry and past events.  

Assisting with financial dealings, this healing crystal encourages us to be sensible with our wealth and to make balanced decisions as our financial world changes.

Turritella Agate Benefits

This amazing mineral has various benefits as it is a powerful healing stone for spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical issues. 

Spiritual Healing

Turritella Agate helps to release and stabilize any negative energies surrounding you, making you feel safe and secure and able to take on any new opportunities with confidence and certainty.

A grounding stone, it supports you through times of change and resonates with the Root chakra, supporting you physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Turritella Agate helps with your spiritual growth, contains ancient knowledge, and connects you to your past lives. It reminds us to engage in regular spiritual contemplation and self-reflection on our life experiences to help with inner stability.

Mental and Emotional Healing

Turritella Agate is a stone of wisdom that makes your intellectual and intuitive knowledge more accessible to you. It also helps you to focus by clearing your mind of intrusive and unhelpful thoughts. It provides support during times of hardship and disruption.

Turritella Agate asks us to remember to stay humble and helps to soften a strong ego.

It boosts creative thinking, encourages healthy choices, and helps us to recognize our habits. Our desires for things we don’t need cease, and the crystal also assists our ability to juggle multiple commitments.

Turritella Agate provides a sense of safety and security and makes you comfortable and confident in making the best decisions. 

It encourages self-confidence, maturity, composure, and inner stability.

Physical Healing

Turritella Agate is a versatile healing stone for physical ailments. It can be used to eliminate lethargy and is very helpful in absorbing nutrients and various vitamins and minerals.

It is particularly suitable for relieving swelling of hands and feet and, together with an appropriate diet, it will ease bloating of the stomach. Also beneficial for digestion issues, gastroenteritis, and pain resulting from gallstones.

Turritella Agate assists with skin issues such as rashes, abrasions, and irritations due to insect bites and can be useful for treating varicose veins.

Another interesting benefit is that Turritella Agate is said to be a healing crystal that protects travelers from danger, eases fears, and helps you to stay connected to those at home.

Earth Healing

Said to open communication between the plant and mineral kingdoms, Turritella Agate provides access to important information about healing the planet. 

If this stone is buried in ground that has been overworked, abused, or contaminated, it cleanses and revitalizes the area. Its healing energy can be projected if the stone is placed on a map or photo of the damaged area.

It teaches us to become better caretakers of our environment. We are reminded of the importance of respect and attention being paid to all living things, from the very large to the very, very small.

Love and Relationships

This healing crystal helps to strengthen connections by showing you how your ego is impacting your relationships. And it also makes you more attractive to people who want more than friendship.

The stones provide emotional healing from things that have happened in the past which are preventing you from having fulfilling relationships. Turritella Agate helps you on the path to releasing deep-seated traumas. It softens your anger and encourages feelings of love and courage to begin again.

Wealth

A powerful stone to use for financial support, it will invite more prosperity and abundance and helps create the self-belief that you are resilient concerning financial matters.

Turritella Agate shows you that cash flow is as it sounds – money ebbs and flows in our lives, some coming in, some going out. Panic is avoided when money seemingly leaves all at once; similarly, we become more rational and balanced when a lot of money arrives.

It brings the needed balance and provides you with support for finding success in all your endeavors.

Photo of a brown Turritella Agate with many small and bigger fossils that are shaped like tiny snails

How to Use Turritella Agate

Turritella Agate has a wide variety of uses, both practical and aesthetic. Practical uses for this crystal include using it as a weight-bearing material or an abrasive. Aesthetically, it is prized for its beauty and is used in jewelry and other decorative objects. 

It is particularly popular among jewelry makers and collectors, who appreciate its one-of-a-kind appearance. In the form of tumbled stones, we can easily carry them with us.

Whenever you need a meditative focus or a trance-like state, gaze into a Turritella Agate, which will encourage relaxation. 

In Summary

Turritella Agate is a very beautiful and interesting gemstone. Its healing properties make it a popular choice for those looking for natural ways to improve their health and well-being. Helpful for those going through significant life changes, it helps to ease transitions and brings inner peace.

Whether you’re drawn to its beauty or its purported benefits, Turritella Agate makes a wonderful addition to any gemstone and crystal collection.