Ammonite & Ammolite
FOSSILS
RocksForKids.com
| Ammonite is a common fossil. It is
also sometimes called nautilus. Its living relatives are the nautilus, squid and cuttlefish. |
|
 |
This fossil is sometimes called
the Snake Stone in folklore.
AGE: Cretaceous - Devonian
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
Ammolite is an ammonite
that has an irridescent outer shell, often in red.
Ammolite is a rare and valuable
opal-like organic gemstone found primarily along the eastern slopes of
the Rocky Mountains of North America. It is arguably the rarest gemstone
on earth, rivaling the rarity of such gemstones as alexandrite and red
diamonds. It is made of the fossilized shells of ammonites, which in
turn are composed primarily of aragonite, the same mineral that makes up
nacreous pearls. It is one of several biogenic gemstones; others include
amber and pearl.1 In 1981, ammolite was given official gemstone status
by the World Jewellery Confederation, the same year commercial mining of
ammolite began. It was designated the official gemstone of the Province
of Alberta in 2004 and the official gemstone of the City of Lethbridge
in 2007. |
|
 Ammolite, MADAGASCAR |
Back of Ammolite, MADAGASCAR |
