Ammolite Gemstone
Ammolite is truly a wonder of nature - as rare as they are beautiful, all Ammolite gems are unique. Given gemstone status in 1981, the Ammolite is one of the fossil world's most bizarre and limited occurrences of an Opal-like preservation of an ancient marine Ammonite's shell. In life, the Ammonite's shell would have been composed primarily of layers of the mineral Aragonite, these same layers of mineral are what diffract light, after fossilization, and cause the range and play of colors you see. The thickest layers of the Opal Aragonite produce the widest range in color and make the Canadian Ammolite stand alone.
This colorful Canadian Ammolite comes from the Upper Cretaceous Period (71 Ma), and is found in the Bearpaw Formation. These specimens are collected along the St. Mary's River, outside Lethbridge, in Southern Alberta, Canada.
