Ammolite Pendant with Sterling Silver and a White Sapphire

This is a brilliant ammolite (iridescent fossil ammonite shell) pendant set in sterling silver and accented with a white sapphire between the pendant and chain. Only the highest quality ammolite is chosen for use in jewelry. It is accompanied by a chain and a red jewelry box.

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 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.