According to the article, the gem can be found along the east side of the Rocky Mountains, but this is the only economically productive area of gem-quality Ammolite in the world. The iridescent phenomenon in Ammolite arises from the interference of light bouncing off stacked layers of thin microscopic platelets that make up the replaced aragonite in the ammonite shell. Unlike the vast majority of ammonite deposits found around the world, the specimens found at Korite’s mine site have a fossilized outer shell that’s iridescent as a result of replacement by aragonite. He documented the experience, which included a visit to the mine site, in his June 2013 Rock & Gem article, “Ammolite: An Organic Jewel.” The article offers a thorough overview of Korite’s operation and how these fragile shells are mined, an excavation process that often occurs at depths of 50 to 60 feet. While the ammonite deposit was first recorded in 1908 by a National Geographic survey, local lapidaries of Calgary only started fashioning Ammolite in 1962-which is hard to believe since lapidaries are always looking for new and unique materials to cut.Īuthor Stuart Wilson was recently given a tour of Korite International by company president Pierre Pare. The company is located in Calgary, Canada, and mines for ammonite near Lethbridge, in the province of Alberta. Korite International Ltd., which began as Korite Gems in 1977, is the primary company mining, fashioning, and marketing the world’s Ammolite. “Ammolite” is the trade name referring to gems cut from fossilized ammonite, an extinct group of marine invertebrate, also collected as whole specimens. Applied Jewelry Professional ™ Online DiplomaĪmmolite is cut from rough ammonite fossils such as this specimen.
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