Fossil: Iridescent Ammonite
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Polished Mini Irridescent Ammonite $27.00 |
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#799 $120.00 |
sold |
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ships within 48 hours
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Approx. Size: |
see size at photo |
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Color: |
Brown with Rainbows |
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Age: |
65 million years |
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#812 $70.00 |
sold |
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#802 $90.00 |
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#807 |
sold |
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Ammolite: Iridescent Ammonite Fossil
Ammonites that display an iridescence are called ammolites. The stunning rainbow color is the result of nacre (mother of pearl), which is the substance that made up the animal’s shell. This then fossilized and became a mineral known as aragonite.
The colors result from light reflecting off of layers within the fossilized shell and interacting, much the way oil on water produces a rainbow sheen. Ammolite is one of only three gemstones produced by living organisms, along with amber and pearls.
Ammonites have been collected and prized for their geometrical beauty for many thousands of years.
Ammonites became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous Period some 65 million years ago after a 330 million year survival on earth. Read more about ammonites here…