[Source] Ammonite

Hello Helen UK

Is it possible to get hold of a ammonite or two - they are very
costly here in Australia. My interest being rocks and shells and
fossilised ammonites cover both very well.

Sue
Queensland

Hi Sue,

Is it possible to get hold of a ammonite or two - they are very
costly here in Australia. My interest being rocks and shells and
fossilised ammonites cover both very well. 

Yes it’s possible. I’ll look into it tomorrow (it’s very late at
night at the moment). I’ve got a website or two that look good, or I
can get my parents to send me some and I can send them on to you.
Leave it with me and I’ll get back to you tomorrow.

Helen
UK

Here’s a website that purposts to sell ammonite triplets for
jewellery. hope this helps. :

http://www.ammonite.com/triplets.htm

The triplets you refer to are ammolite not ammonite. Sue was after
ammonite fossils. Although the website you mention does sell
ammonites as well as ammolite triplet cabochons, I’m not sure they
are what Sue was looking for. I’ve given her two website links that
offer the ammonite fossils cut in half and sold as a matching pair,
revealing the inside chambers filled with whatever it is, be it agate
or chalcedony - not getting into that argument again.

Helen
UK

Helen; Ammolite is a trade name for at least one of the mining firms
mining the Canadian ammonites. They are triplets, they are trade
named ammolite but they are ammonite they also use that name for
their solid stones. Ammonites are found all over the world however
only the ones from this specific area have the opalescence. If I
remember it is due to a mineral called corderite.

Dave Owen

Ammolite is a trade name for at least one of the mining firms
mining the Canadian ammonites. They are triplets, they are trade
named ammolite but they are ammonite they also use that name for
their solid stones. Ammonites are found all over the world however
only the ones from this specific area have the opalescence. If I
remember it is due to a mineral called corderite. 

Finally, someone solved the mystery that has caused some confusion
among local rock hounds. I use Russian pyritized ammonites set as
cabs in my jewelry. There are a popular item. Then comes the well
meaning rock hound that says that’s not ammonite and shows me his
version of ammonite. Canadian is opalized; Russian is pyritized. That
solves the riddle.

Thanks Dave Owen!

Rick Copeland
Silversmith and Lapidary Artisan
Rocky Mountain Wonders
Colorado Springs, Colorado
rockymountainwonders.com

Hi Rick

... specific area have the opalescence 

Our ‘Canadian Ammolite’ is not opalized, though it does show
opalescence (as Dave mentioned) not unlike Labradorite or
Spectrolite. The word ‘Ammolite’ was coined originally by Korite
International after finding out that they could not trademark the
name Ammonite. It is also called ammonite, calcentine, and korite. It
is composed mostly of Aragonite and the colour comes mostly from
interference with the light that rebound from stacked layer of thin
platelets of that form aragonite…

To learn more check out Canada Fossils
http://www.canadafossils.com/ammonites.html

This type of mineralization of the shell is unique to Alberta,
Canada, yes, but also to Montana, USA. Also possible a little in the
extreme south west of Saskatchewan, Canada. Ironically enough I know
rock hounds that were finding and cutting this stuff over 30 years
ago, well before it became a phenomenon. Some of the best comes from
the Blood Indian Reservation in Southern Alberta, though they were
burned a number of years ago by people who were to teach them to
process it themselves for huge sums of money but didn’t live up to
their end of the bargain. The Alberta government now charges
royalties on its extraction similar to that of our oil.

The coating is often thin, though may be many layers thick. the
colours tend to degrade upon exposure to oxygen and light. It is
brittle and flakes easily, which can make it a problem to set when
natural. To obtain a beautiful colour for any amount of time it
should be sealed somehow. This is usually done with a quartz/spinel
cap as a triplet. It comes in every colour imaginable though reds and
greens seem the most prolific.

Karen Bahr - Karen’s Artworx
Calgary, Alberta, Canada