10.1" Spectacular Ammonite (Ammolite) With Mosasaur Bite Marks!

This is a truly spectacular ammonite fossil (Placenticeras meeki), collected from the Bearpaw Shale of Alberta, Canada (collected Fall, 2017). It's entirely preserved in brilliant ammolite, an iridescent, opal-like gemstone and features perforations (bite marks) left by a giant Mosasaur.

This remarkable ammonite fossil is in excellent condition with very vivid colors. It displays spectacularly and boasts bright colors throughout including burgundies, reds, oranges, golds, greens and even some rare blue and purple hues. There are bite marks visible from both sides which were left by a giant marine reptile (most likely a Mosasaur). This ammonite has many of the characteristics which have lead to these ammonites being considered previous and highly sought after.

These complete, ammolite preserved, ammonite fossils are rare. The Canadian government considers them part of the “National Treasures of Canada”. For this reason, all complete specimens must be inspected and registered by the Alberta provincial government. Each ammonite then receives a number and is entered in the provincial database. A cultural property export permit is required for them to be exported from the province. Documentation will be provided with the specimen.

Please contact us for any additional information about this specimen, payment or shipping.

Ammolite is an opal-like gemstone found primarily in Alberta, Canada. It is a kind of fossilized shell from ammonites, which in turn are composed primarily of aragonite, the same mineral contained in nacre (mother-of-pearl). The shell's microstructures are often preserved. In 1981, ammolite was given official gemstone status by the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO).

An ammonite composed entirely of ammolite.  Complete specimens of this quality are rare and prices run into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
An ammonite composed entirely of ammolite. Complete specimens of this quality are rare and prices run into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.


An iridescent opal-like play of color is shown in fine specimens, mostly in shades of green and red; howver, all the spectral colors can be seen. This iridescence is due to the aragonite's microstructure: unlike most other gems, whose colors come from light absorption, the iridescence in ammolite comes from interference with the light that rebounds from stacked layers of thin platelets that make up the aragonite. The thicker the layers, the more reds and greens are produced; the thinner the layers, the more blues and violets predominate. Blues and especially purples are the rarest colors, owing to the greater fragility of the finer layers responsible for these colors.


Ammonites were predatory cephalopod mollusks that resembled squids with spiral shells. They are more closely related to living octopuses, though their shells resemble that of nautilus species. True ammonites appeared in the fossil record about 240 million years ago during the Triassic Period. The last lineages disappeared 65 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous.

What an ammonite would have looked like while alive.
What an ammonite would have looked like while alive.
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DETAILS
SPECIES
Placenticeras meeki
LOCATION
Korite Ammolite Mine, SW Alberta, Canada
FORMATION
Bearpaw Formation
SIZE
10.1 x 8.2 x 1.4"
CATEGORY
ITEM
#197484
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