Approximately 3.6 to 20 million years old. Approximately 3" in length About The Megalodon: 23 million years ago you may have thought twice about taking a dip in the ocean. That’s because the largest shark ever was still roaming the open seas looking for its next meal. The Megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon), meaning "big tooth" was the greatest shark to have ever swam the ocean. For 13 million years it dominated the oceans and was considered by today's standards to be a living, biting sea monster. Estimates suggest it grew to between 15 and 18 meters in length, three times longer than the largest recorded great white shark. It was estimated to weigh between 53 to 114 tons which is equal to as many as sixteen adult male African elephants. That’s a lot of shark. Like all sharks, Megalodon produced a crazy amount of teeth. They had five rows of over 270 sharp teeth that could grow over 7 inches long and over 4 inches wide at the base. A literal conveyor belt of triangular steak knives the size of your hand were constantly being produced from its jaws. Scientists theorized that the Megalodon hunted and attacked its prey in a similar fashion as today’s great white sharks —ambushing its target from below, and ripping chunks of flesh and fin with one calculated strike. This would leave its target incapacitated and easier to feed upon. With all of that flesh-ripping going on, its teeth would suffer the brunt of the impact. This would cause them to lose more than a few teeth in the attack. A lot of the fossil teeth we have today came from such attacks. Considering how many teeth this behemoth lost throughout its life, it’s no wonder we have been finding them throughout history. In the middle ages, Europeans thought they were "tongue stones" or petrified tongues of dragons and snakes. Megalodon teeth were worn as pendants and used in medicine. Native Americans used shark teeth, including megalodon teeth as necklaces and tools such as scrapers. It’s not too late to bring back an ancient fashion trend and fashion one into a necklace for yourself! Large chunky jewelry is still en vogue, yeah? While Megalodon may have not been the only leviathan to lurk in the depths of the sea, it certainly is one of our favorites here. To put your mind at ease (for your next beach party), the Megalodon has been extinct for 3.6 million years. Studies have indicated that drastic shifts in the food chain may have led to the giant's demise. Simply put, there wasn’t enough food to sustain such a large predator. Could there ever be another titanic shark like the Megalodon? I guess we'll just have to wait a few million years to find out. Each of our megalodon teeth are hand selected and are guaranteed to be high quality specimens. This tooth is a one of a kind and more than impressive to hold. It's a mind blowing concept that something this big is a single tooth, from a jaw that was filled with hundreds.