[Jewelry making - Article 00457] - Re: [Orchid] [Source] Ammonite

[Karen Bahr]

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Hi Rick

>     ... specific area have the opalescence 

    Our 'Canadian Ammolite' is not opalized, though it does show
    opalescence (as Dave mentioned) not unlike Labradorite or
    Spectrolite. The word 'Ammolite' was coined originally by Korite
    International after finding out that they could not trademark the
    name Ammonite. It is also called ammonite, calcentine, and korite. It
    is composed mostly of Aragonite and the colour comes mostly from
    interference with the light that rebound from stacked layer of thin
    platelets of that form aragonite.. 

    To learn more information check out Canada Fossils
    http://www.canadafossils.com/ammonites.html 

    This type of mineralization of the shell is unique to Alberta,
    Canada, yes, but also to Montana, USA. Also possible a little in the
    extreme south west of Saskatchewan, Canada. Ironically enough I know
    rock hounds that were finding and cutting this stuff over 30 years
    ago, well before it became a phenomenon. Some of the best comes from
    the Blood Indian Reservation in Southern Alberta, though they were
    burned a number of years ago by people who were to teach them to
    process it themselves for huge sums of money but didn't live up to
    their end of the bargain. The Alberta government now charges
    royalties on its extraction similar to that of our oil. 

    The coating is often thin, though may be many layers thick. the
    colours tend to degrade upon exposure to oxygen and light. It is
    brittle and flakes easily, which can make it a problem to set when
    natural. To obtain a beautiful colour for any amount of time it
    should be sealed somehow. This is usually done with a quartz/spinel
    cap as a triplet. It comes in every colour imaginable though reds and
    greens seem the most prolific. 

Karen Bahr - Karen's Artworx
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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