# Fossil > [!material-gem] Material Details > | | | > |---|---| > | **Aliases/Varieties** | Index Fossil. Body Fossil. Trace Fossil. Coprolite. Resin. Microfossil. Subfossil. | > | **Category** | Gemstone | > | **Color(s)** | Varies | > | **Cost** | —— | > | **Environment/Habitat** | —— | > | **Profession(s)** | [[Alchemist]], [[Jewelcrafter]], [[Tinkerer]] | > | **Qualities** | - Alchemical<br>- Healing<br>- Ornamental<br>- Protective | > | **Rarity** | —— | > | **Size** | —— | > | **Weight** | —— | > [!material-gem] Specifications > | | | > |---|---| > | **Crystal System** | Amorphous | > | **Formations** | Preserved remains in sedimentary rocks | > | **Formula** | varies | > | **Hardness** | Varies | > | **Mineral Class** | Organic material (fossil) | > | **Primary Components** | carbon, calcium | > | **Refractive Index** | —— | --- ## Description The preserved remains or impressions of long-gone organisms of a past geological era. They channel the magic of past lives, time, evolution, immortality, and rebirth. ### Physical Description Remnants, traces, or impressions left by once-living organisms, preserved in rocks. Fossils range from massive skeletons of extinct creatures to plant imprints to preserved traces or feces to microfossils—preserved bacteria invisible to a naked eye. In some cases, mineralized water fills the empty spaces of the organism, in others the tissues are replaced by the minerals, in others yet, only casts and molds are created. Most dead organisms are never fossilized, causing the fossil record—a full collection of preserved organisms—of any area to be spotty at best. Magically and culturally significant types of fossils have been described in separate entries (see: Amber, Ammolite, Coal, Jet, Peat, Petroleum.) --- ## Occurrence Fossilization is a rare process, requiring the remains to be covered by sediment soon after death, before they decompose. As such, it occurs most often on sandy seafloors, lava beds, or under tar, ice, or resin. Nowadays, fossils are found throughout the world, usually embedded deep underground in sedimentary rocks. ### Extraction & Preparation Extracted fossils are rarely processed beyond simple cleaning or cutting, as their rarity and significance are too high to risk breakage or waste. --- ## Properties ### Decorative Properties Cleaned and polished fossils are used in jewelry. Fossilized shark and dinosaur teeth, which are relatively common, feature as beads in necklaces and bracelets. ### Industrial Properties Some fossils are used as fuel (peat, coal, petroleum), but most have a high scientific value and are displayed in museums or studied to uncover the history of the world. Powdered, they are sometimes also employed as medicine and aphrodisiacs. ### Magical Properties Thousands and millions years old, fossils carry the weight of time in their petrified remains. They are a powerful tool for connecting with the past, whether by divining historical events or inquiring into one's past lives. The experiments using fossils to fuel time travels are undergoing but so far none has been reported successful. Their steady presence extends a protective shield; use them around the house or in the workshop to block distractions, malicious entities, and harmful spells. Remains with inclusions often shape the area of effect; for example, a fossilized tooth of a shark can silence winds and seas, rendering them vital for sailors, merchants, and travelers. Fossils impart their power in transmutation magic. As a proof of evolutionary processes and the endless change, they help with transmogrification of matter. Magical tools and wands featuring fossils amplify spells of change, growth, and progress. Particularly powerful fossils hold the power over life, death, and rebirth. Worn as jewelry, they prolong one's life and protect them from illness and misfortune. They are used in childbirth and burial rituals, in calling the souls back from behind the Veil, and in pursuit of immortality. Fossils are capable of bringing back to life even a being whose body has decomposed or was destroyed; they allow to reach back in time to recreate that which was lost.