A Cufflink to the Past

Old Fossils

Our Anglo-American chums Paul Stuart have really come up trumps with these cufflinks that set tiny ammonites, the fossil shell of an ammonoid, in sterling silver. They make a lovely marine-themed touch for summer. I like the raw hewn nature of the stone cut against the delicacy of the silver setting. I wonder if the two sides are cut from the same fossil or they need to find two of matching size?

The cufflinks are made in Bali, which sounds terrifically exotic and appropriate. Bali Shell Museum — 'a place that will change your thought about shells' —  has an extensive collection of ammonites if you want to understand more.

Sobering to think that the humble (and extinct) ammonoids were scuttling around the ocean at the same time as the dinosaurs. In Britain, we knew this type of fossil as the serpentstone and it was thought to have healing powers. Perhaps it does. What do we know? Well we know for sure they make excellent cufflinks.