AMMOLITE
AMMOLITE
Ammolite comes from the sea creature Ammonite. The name is derived from the Egyptian god Ammon or Amen who is depicted as ram-headed man. Pliny the Elder called Ammonite the AMMONIS CORNUA, the Horns of Ammon because the fossilized Ammonite look similar to the ram’s horns worn on the head of god Amen.
Ammolites are created over a period of 70 million years from fossilized shells of an ancient mollusk called Ammonite. These shell materials are only found on two species of extinct Ammonite fossils.
Ammonites (the source organisms for ammolite) are an extinct group of marine invertebrates that possessed a tightly coiled shell similar to the modern Nautilus.
These Ammonites contain the mineral Aragonite which is also found in pearls and abalone. It is this mineral that gives Ammolite its iridescent colors.
Ammolite is of a calcium carbonate with a 3 to 4% variable mineral traces. It has a hardness of 4 on the Mohs scale. It has a pinacoidal (or basal) cleavage meaning that it has only one cleavage plane and thus can be peeled into thin sheets.
It has an opaque transparency with a greasy to dull, and glass-like to resinous luster. In ultraviolet light, it gives a mustard yellowish fluorescence.
Ammolite is an opal-like iridescent organic gem. It is not a mineral but form from a biological process. Other organic gems include amber, and pearls.
Ammolite is also known as Calcenite, Korite, Gem Ammonite and "Aapoak", a Native American term meaning Crawling Stone.
Ammolites can come in a rainbow of colors within a gem piece. However, the most predominant colors are green and red, whereas purple and blue are rarer and therefore more valuable.
The most sought after Ammolites are those that produce a vivid display of multiple colors; have a strong iridescence that can be observed from a wide range of angles; and have a pleasing pattern of color with minimal interruption by gaps, inclusions or fractures.
These patterns include:
~Stained glass pattern which in ammolite resembles a multicolored glass window.
~Dragon skin ammolite pattern looks like the scaly skin of the mythological dragon.
~Cobblestone pattern looks like the cobblestone streets of old European towns.
~Paintbrush ammolite pattern exhibits broad strokes of color.
~Lava pattern displays a flow of red lava on a green background.
~Sunset ammolite pattern displays a beautiful sunset of red and orange colored landscape.
Ammolite was highly regarded by the Native American Blackfoot Tribe of Canada. They used it in their medicine and spiritual ceremonies. They called it "Iniskim" which means the Buffalo Stone and they believed that it brings good luck to its owner.
Legend has it that the stone was discovered by a Blackfoot woman when she had a dream in which she was instructed to go and search for this brilliantly colored magical stone that resembled a buffalo. This happened at a particularly harsh winter and there was no food as all the buffalo had disappeared.
After days of searching, she finally found the stone hidden in a cave and performed the ceremony as instructed in her dream. Thereafter the herd returned to graze and her tribe managed to avert the threat of starvation and death.
Since then the Blackfoot revered the Ammolite as a powerful amulet of good luck, good health and abundance.
It is said that the original discus used by the ancient Greeks in their Olympics was in fact a fossilized Ammonite.
In India, Ammonites are identified with the god Vishnu and they are used in religious ceremonies. These Ammonites are found in Nepal, from the bed of the River Gandaki where it cuts through Jurassic sediments.
Chinese Feng Shui regards Ammolite as the "most influential gemstone of the millenium". It is believed by Feng Shui practitioners that Ammolite has absorbed 70 million years of cosmic energies from the core of the earth and is thus a very powerful stone. It is referred to as the "Seven Color Prosperity Stone."
Ammolite was known by Native Americans for thousands of years and it was used by them as decorations and as part of their sacred ceremonies. However, this gem was only revealed to the world in 1906 when it was first discovered by the Geological Survey of Canada.
It was in 1981 that Ammolite was officially accepted as a gem by the World Jewelry Confederation due to the lobbying of Pierre Pare and Rene Vandevelde.
Ammolites contain the mineral aragonite which is known to increase energy, boost self-confidence and relieve stress.
The spiral shape of Ammonite is the very sacred Fibonacci sequence and the golden spiral which is found in human artwork since very ancient times is a symbol of creation, life, rebirth, energy, growth and journey.
There is no doubt that Ammolite is indeed a sacred stone. Just by looking at pictures of Ammolites your mental abilities are triggered, your creativity is increased, and its beauty helps you in obtaining the clarity needed for making decisions.
All Ammolite gems come from only one source: The Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. Ammolites have been monopolized by two companies: Aurora and Korite who produce Ammolite gems on site and do not let rough Ammolites enter the gemstone markets around the world. This makes Ammolite extremely rare. It only comes from this one source.
Fossilized Ammonite shells with some iridescence, on the other hand, can be found in England, Morocco, and Madagascar. But these materials do not display the vivid colors that Ammolites exhibit, therefore are given little value in the gemstone markets.
The color-producing shell layer of Ammolite is usually very thin (often less than one millimeter). Therefore, they are typically stabilized in a doublet or triplet setting. This is to protect the thin fragile pieces and make them more durable. A triplet is made by attaching the Ammolite on a stronger base of shale or chalcedony and topping off with a clear covering of quartz which is a harder material. A doublet uses only either a base or a top.
Ammonite gems are sold by its size and its beautiful iridescence coloring and not by carat or weight.
Other gemstones that look similar to Ammolites are Labradorite, Abalone, Paua Shell and Black Opal.
You can clean your Ammolite with running water and sun bathing it for half an hour. Remember that you are dealing with an organic material so special care has to be taken since it is quite delicate.
Ammolite comes from the sea creature Ammonite. The name is derived from the Egyptian god Ammon or Amen who is depicted as ram-headed man. Pliny the Elder called Ammonite the AMMONIS CORNUA, the Horns of Ammon because the fossilized Ammonite look similar to the ram’s horns worn on the head of god Amen.
Ammolites are created over a period of 70 million years from fossilized shells of an ancient mollusk called Ammonite. These shell materials are only found on two species of extinct Ammonite fossils.
Ammonites (the source organisms for ammolite) are an extinct group of marine invertebrates that possessed a tightly coiled shell similar to the modern Nautilus.
These Ammonites contain the mineral Aragonite which is also found in pearls and abalone. It is this mineral that gives Ammolite its iridescent colors.
Ammolite is of a calcium carbonate with a 3 to 4% variable mineral traces. It has a hardness of 4 on the Mohs scale. It has a pinacoidal (or basal) cleavage meaning that it has only one cleavage plane and thus can be peeled into thin sheets.
It has an opaque transparency with a greasy to dull, and glass-like to resinous luster. In ultraviolet light, it gives a mustard yellowish fluorescence.
Ammolite is an opal-like iridescent organic gem. It is not a mineral but form from a biological process. Other organic gems include amber, and pearls.
Ammolite is also known as Calcenite, Korite, Gem Ammonite and "Aapoak", a Native American term meaning Crawling Stone.
Ammolites can come in a rainbow of colors within a gem piece. However, the most predominant colors are green and red, whereas purple and blue are rarer and therefore more valuable.
The most sought after Ammolites are those that produce a vivid display of multiple colors; have a strong iridescence that can be observed from a wide range of angles; and have a pleasing pattern of color with minimal interruption by gaps, inclusions or fractures.
These patterns include:
~Stained glass pattern which in ammolite resembles a multicolored glass window.
~Dragon skin ammolite pattern looks like the scaly skin of the mythological dragon.
~Cobblestone pattern looks like the cobblestone streets of old European towns.
~Paintbrush ammolite pattern exhibits broad strokes of color.
~Lava pattern displays a flow of red lava on a green background.
~Sunset ammolite pattern displays a beautiful sunset of red and orange colored landscape.
Ammolite was highly regarded by the Native American Blackfoot Tribe of Canada. They used it in their medicine and spiritual ceremonies. They called it "Iniskim" which means the Buffalo Stone and they believed that it brings good luck to its owner.
Legend has it that the stone was discovered by a Blackfoot woman when she had a dream in which she was instructed to go and search for this brilliantly colored magical stone that resembled a buffalo. This happened at a particularly harsh winter and there was no food as all the buffalo had disappeared.
After days of searching, she finally found the stone hidden in a cave and performed the ceremony as instructed in her dream. Thereafter the herd returned to graze and her tribe managed to avert the threat of starvation and death.
Since then the Blackfoot revered the Ammolite as a powerful amulet of good luck, good health and abundance.
It is said that the original discus used by the ancient Greeks in their Olympics was in fact a fossilized Ammonite.
In India, Ammonites are identified with the god Vishnu and they are used in religious ceremonies. These Ammonites are found in Nepal, from the bed of the River Gandaki where it cuts through Jurassic sediments.
Chinese Feng Shui regards Ammolite as the "most influential gemstone of the millenium". It is believed by Feng Shui practitioners that Ammolite has absorbed 70 million years of cosmic energies from the core of the earth and is thus a very powerful stone. It is referred to as the "Seven Color Prosperity Stone."
Ammolite was known by Native Americans for thousands of years and it was used by them as decorations and as part of their sacred ceremonies. However, this gem was only revealed to the world in 1906 when it was first discovered by the Geological Survey of Canada.
It was in 1981 that Ammolite was officially accepted as a gem by the World Jewelry Confederation due to the lobbying of Pierre Pare and Rene Vandevelde.
Ammolites contain the mineral aragonite which is known to increase energy, boost self-confidence and relieve stress.
The spiral shape of Ammonite is the very sacred Fibonacci sequence and the golden spiral which is found in human artwork since very ancient times is a symbol of creation, life, rebirth, energy, growth and journey.
There is no doubt that Ammolite is indeed a sacred stone. Just by looking at pictures of Ammolites your mental abilities are triggered, your creativity is increased, and its beauty helps you in obtaining the clarity needed for making decisions.
All Ammolite gems come from only one source: The Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. Ammolites have been monopolized by two companies: Aurora and Korite who produce Ammolite gems on site and do not let rough Ammolites enter the gemstone markets around the world. This makes Ammolite extremely rare. It only comes from this one source.
Fossilized Ammonite shells with some iridescence, on the other hand, can be found in England, Morocco, and Madagascar. But these materials do not display the vivid colors that Ammolites exhibit, therefore are given little value in the gemstone markets.
The color-producing shell layer of Ammolite is usually very thin (often less than one millimeter). Therefore, they are typically stabilized in a doublet or triplet setting. This is to protect the thin fragile pieces and make them more durable. A triplet is made by attaching the Ammolite on a stronger base of shale or chalcedony and topping off with a clear covering of quartz which is a harder material. A doublet uses only either a base or a top.
Ammonite gems are sold by its size and its beautiful iridescence coloring and not by carat or weight.
Other gemstones that look similar to Ammolites are Labradorite, Abalone, Paua Shell and Black Opal.
You can clean your Ammolite with running water and sun bathing it for half an hour. Remember that you are dealing with an organic material so special care has to be taken since it is quite delicate.