Conglomerate — Tillite — Polished Face

$77.53
Chemical FormulaMixed clasts in fine matrix
Crystal System
Mohs Hardnessvaries
Specific Gravity2.6–2.8
LusterDull
TransparencyOpaque

The Gowganda tillite (2.3 billion years old) is evidence of Earth’s first global glaciation — the ‘Huronian’ ice age that followed the Great Oxidation Event. Glaciers transported b…

21 in stock

SKU: TC-GEO-0874
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Description

Collectors say that minerals are the universe’s autobiography, written in atoms. The Gowganda tillite (2.3 billion years old) is evidence of Earth’s first global glaciation — the ‘Huronian’ ice age that followed the Great Oxidation Event. Glaciers transported boulders of mixed composition and deposited them in an unsorted matrix. This rock records a time when ice sheets reached the equator, long before complex life evolved.

This specimen originates from Gowganda Formation, Ontario, Canada, one of the world’s most significant localities for this type of material. Collectors and scientists have drawn from this region for generations, and for good reason: the combination of geological conditions here produces specimens of exceptional quality and clarity.

Every specimen is unique. Photographs approximate the visual experience, but the real thing — its weight, its luster under a raking light, the way it catches the corner of your eye — can only be experienced directly.

Formation

This specimen formed through geological processes operating over timescales that dwarf human history. The specific combination of chemistry, temperature, pressure, and time at this locality produced material of exceptional quality that makes it a valued addition to any serious collection.

Locality

Conglomerate — Tillite — Polished Face from Gowganda Formation, Ontario, Canada. This locality is known for producing specimens of exceptional quality.

Collector Notes

Store on a padded surface; avoid contact with harder minerals.