Extinction Bracelet - Death of the Dinosaurs - K-Pg Boundary Layer

An Extinction Bracelet Set With the Layer That Ended the Dinosaurs

This extinction bracelet is Chicxulub impact jewelry made with real material from the K-Pg boundary layer. A hand-polished sterling silver bead shaped like an asteroid holds the fragments. Polished black obsidian beads form the rest.

Product Details

• Centerpiece: Sterling silver bead shaped like a small asteroid, hand-polished
• Style: Extinction bracelet in sterling silver and obsidian
• Specimen: K-Pg boundary bracelet samples from North American deposits, set under clear epoxy
• Beads: Polished black obsidian
• Length: Obsidian bead bracelet length of 7 in (about 17.5 cm), with some stretch
• Includes: Gray gift box and an information card that serves as the certificate of authenticity

The Layer at the End of an Era

About 66 million years ago, an asteroid struck what is now Mexico's Yucatan coast. The impact left the Chicxulub crater, which measures about 150 km across. Around 75 percent of animal species died, including every non-bird dinosaur.

The impactor is estimated at 10 to 15 km wide.

The Clue in the Clay

In 1980 physicist Luis Alvarez and his son Walter proposed that an asteroid caused the extinction. Their evidence was a thin clay layer rich in iridium. Iridium is rare on Earth but more common in meteorites.

The K-Pg boundary bracelet samples come from North American deposits of that same layer. Find more prehistoric pieces in our Prehistoric Collection.

Wearing and Care

This Chicxulub impact jewelry has a bead set under clear epoxy, so avoid harsh chemicals and soaking. Every obsidian bead bracelet needs care, since obsidian is natural volcanic glass and can chip if struck. Store the extinction bracelet in its gift box with the card.

About the Debate

The asteroid impact is now the most widely accepted explanation for the extinction. Some scientists also point to the Deccan Traps, enormous volcanic eruptions in India, as a contributing stress. Either way, an extinction bracelet like this marks a sharp turning point in life on Earth.

For More Reading from the Web

• Follow the story of the asteroid impact, from the iridium clue to the buried crater. How an Asteroid Ended the Age of the Dinosaurs - Natural History Museum, London