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Ammolite

Ammolite

    In 1908 a member of the National Geological Survey team found mineralized fossils of ammonite along the St. Mary’s River in Alberta. It was not until 1981 that enough high quality Ammolite was discovered to make mining commercially viable.

    Extremely rare and beautiful, Ammolite’s iridescent colors glow with all the colors of the rainbow. Years of tectonic pressure coupled with temperature and the precise mineral composition of the soil, created this beautiful gem from the fossilized remains of the ammonite shell. All gem-grade Ammolite comes from a single mine in North America. it is the only one source!

    Ammolite was granted official gemstone status in 1981 by CIBJO International Commission of Colored Gemstones-making it the most recent stone to be classified as a precious Gem.

    The ammmolites have been discoverd by the « Blackfoot » tribute in Canada. They called it « Buffalo stone ».

    The Ammolite is from the ammonite Placenticeras, 70 to 75 millions years old, changed in aragonite. We find inside also calcite and pyrite.

    The ammolite is in the geological "Bearpaw Formation".

    One mine is the propriety of the  Aurora Ammolite Mine. The other one is owned by Korite International Co.

    To  learn more about the mineralogy of the ammolite, visit mindat.org

    Gemological data

    • Hardness (Mohs) : 4.5 - 5.5
    • Density : 2.6 - 2.85

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