Description
Very Rare Liparoceras tiara Ammonite Fossil from Blockley Brickworks
A very rare and genuine Liparoceras tiara ammonite fossil from Blockley Brickworks, Gloucestershire, UK, collected from the Marlstone Rock Formation of the Lower Jurassic. This fine British ammonite dates to the Pliensbachian Stage, specifically the Ibex Zone, making it approximately 190 million years old. Specimens of named Liparoceras species from classic British Lower Jurassic localities are highly desirable, and Liparoceras tiara is an especially collectable form for those interested in ornate Early Jurassic ammonites.
This fossil is a carefully chosen specimen, with the photograph showing the actual piece you will receive. It includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card, making it a well-documented natural history specimen suitable for fossil collectors, ammonite specialists, educational displays, geology collections, or a distinctive British Jurassic display piece.
Fossil Type and Species Information
Liparoceras tiara is a species of ammonite, an extinct marine cephalopod related to modern squid, cuttlefish, and nautilus. Ammonites lived in ancient seas and had coiled, chambered shells. The living animal occupied the outer body chamber, while the inner chambers helped control buoyancy as the animal moved through the water column.
The genus Liparoceras is known for its bold, robust, and highly ornamented shell form. Many Liparoceras ammonites display inflated whorls, strong ribbing, raised tubercles, and sculptural shell features that make them particularly attractive to collectors. The species name tiara is especially fitting, as members of this group can show prominent ornamentation that gives the shell a crowned or decorated appearance.
Liparoceras belongs to the family Liparoceratidae, within the superfamily Eoderoceratoidea and the order Ammonitida. The genus Liparoceras was established by the palaeontologist Alpheus Hyatt, whose work contributed significantly to the classification of fossil cephalopods and ammonite groups.
Marlstone Rock Formation Geology
This ammonite comes from the Marlstone Rock Formation, a distinctive Lower Jurassic rock unit known from parts of the English Midlands and Cotswolds. The formation is typically associated with iron-rich, calcareous sedimentary rocks that were deposited in a shallow marine environment during the Early Jurassic.
The Marlstone Rock Formation has produced a wide variety of marine fossils, including ammonites, belemnites, bivalves, brachiopods, and other invertebrate remains. Its fossil assemblages provide an important record of Jurassic marine life from a time when much of Britain was covered by warm epicontinental seas. The iron-rich nature of the formation can give fossils from this unit a strong, earthy character and excellent display appeal.
Lower Jurassic Pliensbachian Ibex Zone
This specimen is from the Pliensbachian Stage of the Lower Jurassic, within the Ibex Zone. Ammonite zones are important in geology because ammonites evolved rapidly and were widely distributed in ancient seas. Their changing shell forms allow geologists to identify and correlate rock layers with precision across different regions.
The Ibex Zone is a recognised ammonite biozone within the Lower Pliensbachian and is particularly important for dating marine Jurassic strata. A specimen labelled to this level has added scientific and collector interest, as it offers more than just visual appeal: it also carries accurate geological and stratigraphic information.
Blockley Brickworks Locality
Blockley Brickworks in Gloucestershire is a classic British fossil locality, well known for Lower Jurassic material from the Cotswolds region. Fossils from Blockley are popular with collectors because they combine strong locality provenance with a respected geological context. The area’s Jurassic rocks were laid down in ancient marine conditions, preserving the remains of ammonites and other sea life that lived almost 200 million years ago.
A Liparoceras tiara from Blockley Brickworks is a particularly appealing fossil because it combines a named species, rare collector status, British provenance, a well-known formation, and precise stratigraphic information. This makes it ideal for collectors who value accurately labelled and locality-specific Jurassic fossils.
Morphology and Display Features
Liparoceras tiara is admired for its ornate ammonite shell design. Depending on preservation, the specimen may show a tightly coiled planispiral shell, rounded whorl profile, strong ribs, tubercles, and natural shell sculpture. These features reflect the original architecture of a Jurassic cephalopod shell and make the fossil visually striking in a display setting.
The robust and decorative form of Liparoceras makes it especially suitable for a fossil cabinet, desk display, teaching collection, natural history display, or museum-style arrangement. Its age, rarity, and detailed locality information give it strong appeal for both beginner and advanced collectors.
Authenticity and Specimen Details
This is a very rare genuine Liparoceras tiara ammonite fossil from the Marlstone Rock Formation, Lower Jurassic, Pliensbachian, Ibex Zone, collected from Blockley Brickworks, Gloucestershire, UK. It includes a Certificate of Authenticity lifetime guarantee generic card.
Full sizing can be seen in the photo. The fossil shown is the actual carefully chosen specimen you will receive, allowing buyers to view the true shape, preservation, scale, and presentation of this rare British Jurassic ammonite.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.