The history of the Ammolite goes back about 70-75 million years to the Cretaceous period when the Rocky Mountains were formed. East of them was ...
The history of the Ammolite goes back about 70-75 million years to the Cretaceous period when the Rocky Mountains were formed. East of them was a huge sea, the Western Interior Seaway. This sea was inhabited by many creatures, including ammonites. After their death, these sank to the bottom of the sea and were covered by the water-impermeable volcanic ash from the forming Rocky Mountains, where they became fossilized.
Ammolite is the trade name for the gem quality of a colorful iridescent fossil shell of two ammonites: Placenticeras meeki and Placenticeras intercalare.
The gemstone is composed of the finest aragonite platelets, which produce the variegated colors by interference of light. Good Ammolite shows a play of colors that is in no way inferior to the noblest opal.
