Ammolite Ammonite Placenticeras costatum

Ammonite Placenticeras costatum looks absolutely fantastic. Its shiny surface shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow: here shades of red are neighboring the hues of green, yellow turns into ultramarine, blue mixes with purple, creating an incredible picture. Only a slight change in the angle of illumination creates an effect of changing colors, which seem to be flowing from one shade to another.
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This effect is typical for ammonites, whose mother-of-pearl layer was preserved thanks to the compounds of calcium and salts of different metals that have impregnated it, and turned into a precious stone - ammolite. Shells found in the Canadian province of Alberta are considered to
be the standard of ammonite ammonites. Where pines and spruces rise today, the waves of the sea roared 70 million years ago. Mosasaurs hunted here while numerous ammonites were
swaying in the warm flow.
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The precious status of ammolite is not a figurative expression. It has actually been considered a gemstone since 1981 and is used in jewelry. Even small fragments have a high monetary value, while large whole shells, like our specimen, are the cherished dream of many collectors.