beautiful opalescent colorful ammonite, called Ammolite, from Canada

An iridescent, colorful Ammolite Ammonite from Alberta, Canada. The iridescent shell changes between red, green, gold, and violet when the angle of light changes.

Ammolite is the rare opalescent variety of ammonite shells from the Bearpaw Formation. The original aragonite shell of the Cretaceous ammonites lived approximately 70 million years ago. Geological pressure and temperature transformed the shell into an iridescent layered structure.

The opalescent colors are caused by light diffraction on microscopic aragonite layers, the same effect as with precious opal. Ammolite is recognized as an official gemstone.

The Bearpaw deposits in Alberta are the only commercial source of Ammolite worldwide. A museum-worthy collector's item in gallery format, a paleontological premium document, and at the same time a gemmological gemstone.