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Hard opaque white mineral in flat smooth layers of unusual shapes
Hard opaque white mineral in flat smooth layers of unusual shapes









These cave formations are formed when rainwater combines with carbon dioxide to create carbonic acid which then permeates carbonate rocks in the subsurface. Stalactites and stalagmites are types of speleothems or cave formations that are formed by slow deposition of minerals by dripping water.

hard opaque white mineral in flat smooth layers of unusual shapes

While shades of green and red are usually seen, all spectral colors are possible. Triplets are typically assembled by placing a thin slice of shell between two layers of more durable material that are attached with epoxy. A doublet is a thin slice of shell that is typically covered by a durable material (often crystal, glass or plastic) that both protect the gem and maximize its presentation. Since the layer of ammolite is typically thin, most ammolite is made into doublets or triplets for use in jewelry. Unlike most gems, whose colors come from light absorption, ammolite's iridescent color is caused by interference with the light that gets trapped within stacked layers of thin platelets that make up the fossilized shell. Its iridescence occurs when the fossilized ammonite shell becomes mineralized. Ammolite's iridescent play of color is what makes it so distinctive and attractive. Found in Canada, the iridescent shell of fossilized ammonites is available as ammonite fossils or in iridescent gems cut from the fossils under the trade name ammolite.

hard opaque white mineral in flat smooth layers of unusual shapes

Ammolite is a gem that comes from the fossilized shell of an extinct, squid-like creature called an ammonite.











Hard opaque white mineral in flat smooth layers of unusual shapes