Ammolite - Ammonites

Ammonites are preserved shells of an ancient species of invertebrate animals that once dominated the earth's seas. Over 70 million years old, Ammolite is the preserved mother-of-pearl of this ancient sea creature that has gone through an, as yet, unexplained geological and mineralization transformation - giving it the light refracting qualities that make it a precious gem and crystal. Ammolite is capable of splitting sunlight into every colour imaginable.

Ammolite is Canada's Gemstone. Extremely rare and beautiful, Ammolite's iridescent colours glow with the beauty of the rainbow. Millions of years of tectonic pressure created this beautiful gem from the fossilized remains of the ammonite shell. Ammolite displays brilliant colours, including red, orange, blue, yellow and green across its surfaces. Various stones will include gold and purple as well. Other stones are predominantly one colour; some reflect the entire colour spectrum.

While ammonites are found all over the world, there is only one location where the rare gemstone Ammolite is found. The best and most beautiful ammonite/Ammolite fossils in the world are found just east of the world famous Canadian Rockies, the southwest corner of the province of Alberta, Canada.

Ammolite was known as "Iniskim" by the Native societies. It was, and is still honoured as a powerful talisman and has it's own Traditional Legend. Today Feng Shui masters and those practicing the healing arts have also discovered its extraordinary and unique properties. The beauty and the rarity of Ammolite is treasured amongst collectors. The name "ammonite" is derived from the ancient Egyptian god Ammon who considered them to be divine; they are represented by the head of the ram with twisted spiral horns that are reminiscent of ammonites twisted shells. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder regarded ammonites as the holiest because they were said to evoke prophetic dreams.

Where Our Ammolite Comes From

Ammolite Specifications

Ammolite is the accepted trade and variety name for iridescent fossilized ammonite shell from a single deposit in southern Alberta, Canada. Only two species of the numerous types of these ancient snail-like creatures yield gem quality material when fossilized.

A relative newcomer to the gem scene, ammolite began to enter the World market only during the 1960s. The iridescence is created by interference between light waves travelling through layers of thin, tablet-like aragonite crystals. The thickness of the individual crystals determines the colour seen, with thicker ones giving red and the thinnest ones creating purple. These structural differences help explain why the red material tends to be tougher than the blue or purple.

The iridescent layer of these fossils is generally very thin, no more than 8 mm before polishing and as thin as .1 to 3 mm afterward. For this reason and because of its low hardness (3.5 - 4) most ammolite is either stabilized by impregnation with a polymer resin, coated or made into assembled stones such as doublets or triplets.

In order of rarity the colours are: purple, violet, blue, blue- green green, gold, and red. Patterning varies with some pieces showing colour sections in big blocks, others with finely veined netting and still other pieces showing a single solid colour.

Ammolite is a spectacular, under-used gem material with tremendous potential for greater use by designers as long as the settings are protective or assembled or coated pieces are used. Prices are relatively high for cabochon material, but with its vivid colours and distinctive patterns, ammolite holds up very well in an aesthetic comparison with fine black opal, which is at least an order of magnitude more expensive.

Value
The value of a piece of ammolite is determined by several different factors: the nature and intensity of the colours, the presence or absence of dead spots or directionality in the iridescence and the degree of fracturing. Added to this is a premium, which is accorded to solid unstabilized pieces. Certainly this is reasonable for the collector market, but such pieces are all but unusable in jewellery. Although little has been written of a specific nature about ammolite prices it is reasonable to expect premium prices for rare colours, attractive patterns and freedom from blemishes.

Grading of Ammolite

The following refers to the colour and brilliance of each stone

GRADE DESCRIPTION

AA This is the highest grade displaying 3 or more sharp and brilliant colours and/or a very unique colour pattern. Good colour change of flash when the stone is rotated.
Iridescence : Brilliant multidirectional fire.

A+ Two or more distinct colours or play of colours. Good colour in low light. May contain minor inclusions (will not detract from the beauty of the gemstone).
Iridescence : Quite bright.

A Two or more distinct colours (usually red/green) or play of colours. May contain minor inclusions.
Iridescence : Bright.

A- Faint less distinct colours. May contain some inclusions.
Iridescence : Less bright

The Legend of the Iniskim

Let me tell you the ancient story about lniskims as I learned it from the Old Man.

The First Iniskim

In the long ago, before the People had horses, they sometimes starved when they were unable to move their camps fast enough to keep up with the moving buffalo herds. This story takes place during such a famine. Three sisters were out gathering firewood. The youngest sister was carrying a large load of wood when her carrying strap broke. As she bent over to fix the strap, she thought she heard a voice singing. She became frightened and got up to leave, but the voice called out to her. Then she noticed in the direction of the voice an unusual- looking stone sitting up on the ground near her pile of wood. She went over to take a closer look and saw that the stone was sitting on a little bunch of buffalo hair. The voice began to sing again; it came from the stone:

"You - woman - will you take me? I am Powerful! Buffalo is our Medicine."

That night, she had a dream. The stone came to her and sang its song again. Then it told her, "I have come to you and your people because I pity you. My Power is able to communicate with the buffalo and bring them here. I have chosen you to bring to camp because you are humble and I know your thoughts are good. I will have my Power bring back the buffalo. But you must warn your People: my Power is always announced by a strong storm, and when it arrives it will look like a buffalo, a lone bull. You must tell your People not to harm him. The rest of the herd will follow as soon as he has passed safely through the camp."

The lniskim told her that he had many relatives about the prairie, and that all of them were in contact with the same Power as he. He told that any of the people who wished to have GOOD FORTUNE from this Power should look for one of his relatives and bring them home and treat them with respect.

Our Old People were always sceptical of someone who claimed to have been called upon in a dream and given Power.

With the approval of the holy men, the husband asked the young wife to sit at the head of the tipi and lead the ceremony that had been shown to her. While she covered the stone with the sacred paint she sang one of the songs:

lniskim, he says: "buffalo is my medicine." lniskim, he is saying: "I am Powerful"

The men knew that it was not an ordinary stone, but a sacred stone. They were anxious to see if it really had any Power. The woman then rubbed the lniskim over her body four times and prayed at great length. Then she sang another song:

"This lniskim, my man, it is Powerful"

Before they left, the woman told them about the warning in the dream. A crier was sent around camp telling the People to prepare for a big storm also not to harm the single bull that was to show up in camp after the storm.

Before long the breeze turned into wind, and the tipi covers flapped loudly against their poles. The unfastened tipis of those who disbelieved the woman were blown down and their contents hurled away. They heard loud hoof beats and heavy breathing in the darkened camp. It was the lone bull wandering through the camp. No one dared harm him.

In the morning the storm stopped and there was a large herd of buffalo grazing beside the camp. The People were able to bring down as many as they need, for the animals just wandered without alarm. The People cried with happiness for they had real food again. Everyone brought a tiny offering of buffalo meat or fat and placed before the sacred lniskim, which was sitting a little pile of fur inside of the cleared-earth altar at the back of the tipi.

Ever since then our People have had the Power of the lniskims.

Energy & Healing

Ammolite Crystals have the most extra-ordinary energetic qualities releasing, relaxing, energising, quietening, bringing deep inner peace, heightened awareness, a warmth within the heart, general well-being, creativity, wisdom, intellect, happiness, contentment, balance. Everyone who holds a piece receives what ever 'deep energy' it is that they need; no two people seem to receive the same 'sensations' and no two pieces emit the same energy - we believe this is because it emits a vibration that is a combination of the energy and wisdom of the animal 'the Ammonite', the energy from the individual colours, plus the energy from the matrix from Mother Earth herself.

When given a home, blessed and treated with respect the ancient Indian legend tells us that it was looked upon to bring good fortune and prosperity to their Nation…….as is told in the Legend of the Buffalo and Iniskin.

In more modern times Lettie Vantol, Director of the Vantol College of Crystal Healing says "….this is definitely a very powerful crystal for the New Age." The World renowned Feng Shui Master Edward Kui Ming Li says "…the most influential stone of the millennium…..,placed in a home it promotes a happy family and when placed in a work environment it promotes good business dealings."

Shows and Dates

The following is a list of dates and locations where we will be displaying our extended selection of ammolite.

June 14, 15 - R & G Show, Newcastle, Tyne & Wear
August 9, 10 - R & G Show, Builth Wells, Wales
August 23, 24 - B.L.M.D.A Harrogate
Sept. 6, 7 - R & G Show, Newton Abbott, Devon
Sept. 13, 14 - R & G Show, Newark, Nottinghamshire
Sept. 27, 28 - R & G Show, Shepton Mallet, Somerset
Oct. 18, 19 - R & G Show, Neath, Wales
Oct. 25, 26 - R & G Show, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Nov. 1, 2 - R & G Show, Kempton Park, London
Nov. 22, 23 - R & G Show, Brighton, Sussex