Collection: Ammolite

Ammolite is an ornamental stone of biogenic origin, with a greenish-red and iridescent appearance. It comes exclusively from the eastern Rocky Mountains, in Canada and the United States. It comes from ammonite fossils, Placenticeras from the Bearpaw Shale geological formation. These fossils contain aragonite, the main component of mother-of-pearl.

It has been considered an official gem by the CIBJO since 1981, the year in which its commercial exploitation began.
In 2004, it was designated the official gemstone of the Province of Alberta, Canada. In jewelry, ammolite rivals even opal.

Apart from aragonite, this stone also contains calcite, pyrite or silica. Traces of elements such as aluminum, barium, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, strontium, titanium and vanadium are also detected in its composition.

Ammolite actually forms a very thin layer, about 0.5 to 0.8 mm thick. It is usually found with its matrix.

Its crystallography is orthorhombic. Its hardness is not very high, being between 4.5 and 5.5. Its relative density is between 2.6 and 2.85.
The refractive index, measured on Canadian samples using sodium light, is: α 1.522; β 1.672 - 1.673; γ 1.676 - 1.679. Under ultraviolet rays, ammolite emits a mustard yellow fluorescence.

This stone was known to the Native Americans of the Blackfoot tribe.
They used it as a sacred ornament for rites preceding the bison hunt, as well as for medical purposes.