Gomez’s jewelry included Tiffany & Co. drop-style earrings while Blanco stacked diamonds from Jacob & Co. on his wrist.
5 Things to Know About … Ammolite
Senior Editor Brecken Branstrator details 5 interesting facts about the gemstone that is cut from the fossilized shells of a prehistoric creature.

There’s a gemstone that’s garnering more attention that could speak to those who not only like gemstones with provenance but also with a pretty cool back story.
Ammolite, the iridescent gemstone that’s actually cut from the fossilized shells of a prehistoric creature, comes from only one source only.
The gems have a truly fascinating story; here are five things you should know about them.
1. Nomenclature is key. There’s a difference in the names when it comes to gem versus fossil.
According to the GIA’s Gems & Gemology, ammonites were squid-like creatures with sharp, beak-like jaws, a spiral shell and tentacles. They went extinct about 66 million years ago.
Ammolite, meanwhile, is the trade name for the iridescent, nacreous layer of the shell of fossilized ammonite. Commercial quantities of gem-quality ammolite are only known to come very a few specific types of ammonite shells, the G&G article said.
The GIA said that a number of things must happen for ammonite to become an ammolite gem. It has to be buried quickly, deprived of oxygen, protected from heat and excessive weight, and not be scavenged.

2. They only come from one place. The ammonite sea creatures were around long before there were seven continents. According to the GIA, there were only two large landmasses--Gondwana and Laurasia--on the Earth’s surface when they lived.
This helps explain how the water mass in which they lived (the Bearpaw Sea) during the Late Cretaceous period now is a rock formation that stretches through Montana, and Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada.
While fossilized ammonites can be found in several places around the world, a small area within the Bearpaw Formation, the name for the area leftover from where sediment settled on the bottom of sea, in Southern Alberta, Canada, is the only location where they have been turned into gemstones.
The International Gem Society estimates that only about 5 percent of the ammonites found in Alberta have suitable gem material on the shell surface.
3. They are fairly new to the gem and jewelry world. Despite their historic formation, ammolite is one of the few new natural gems to be introduced into the market in the past 70 years.
It only started to appear in jewelry in the 1960s and was recognized as an organic gemstone in 1981 by the
And like tanzanite and sugilite--introduced to the trade in 1967 and 1980, respectively--ammolite occurs in large enough quantities to make it “economically significant,” Gems & Gemology said.

4. They vary in color and some colors are more valuable. Ammolite can come in any color in the rainbow but most are green and red. Blue and violet are rare and, typically, more valuable.
As is true for most gems, cost depends greatly on the color, which is graded on a scale from one to five. The brightness of the gem also is judged.
Ammolite also can show patterns of fractures on the surface, like stained glass. The GIA said that while fracture ammolite was common in the past, production today mostly includes sheet ammolite.
5. Demand is expected to increase. Korite International in Canada, the largest supplier of ammolite, said that it will quadruple the size of production within the next 12 months as more consumers across the world start to discover and buy the gemstone.
According to a local news story, the company currently is mining two acres a year but will expand to eight over the next year. Production is expected to increase from the current eight million carats per year, which already was increase over last year, to double within the next two years to meet demand across the globe.
The company even has targeted the United States as one of the markets where it believes ammolite could do well.
The Latest

Diamond industry banking veteran Paul De Wachter will take on the role in January 2026.

Taylor Swift flaunts an Elizabeth Taylor-esque gemstone in promo for her new album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”

Its “Quantre Sand” capsule was made using a 3D sand printing technique borrowed from the automotive and aeronautics industries.


Four individuals have been charged in the “takeover-style” robbery of Heller Jewelers last month, and additional charges are expected.

“Radiance and Reverie” will showcase more than 150 jewels from Lane’s personal collection by Tiffany & Co., Cartier, and more.

With their unmatched services and low fees, reDollar.com is challenging some big names in the online consignment world.

The month’s birthstones, tourmaline and opal, complement the palette of autumn.

Smith shares the importance of looking at your company with openness and honesty to identify opportunities you may be missing.

Respondents were concerned about job availability and rising prices.

Its latest interim financials revealed a challenging first half due in part to production troubles at its mines.

Alexander Lacik has led Pandora since 2019. Berta de Pablos-Barbier will succeed him, the first woman to head the company.

Two men allegedly used counterfeit bills to purchase luxury watches and jewelry from a North Carolina jeweler.

The “Lovestruck” collection, designed with the Academy and Grammy award-winning siblings, is the brand’s first lab-grown diamond offering.

The brand, celebrating its 15th anniversary, has popped up at Market, a luxury fashion destination in Highland Park Village.

She was remembered as a creative and generous woman of faith, who also had a sweet tooth.

Move over neck mess, the ear story is the way to make a layering statement today.

The New York-based brand is set to launch a limited-time offering for the holiday season at Holt Renfrew in Toronto.

The “Volume 7” bridal catalog features best-selling engagement rings, trending styles, and a new section highlighting anniversary bands.

Holiday sales growth is expected to slow as consumers grapple with inflation and tariff-related uncertainty.

Jamie Turner Designs is among the winners of the local “Austin Shines” contest, hosted by Eliza Page, a jewelry store in Austin, Texas.

The red and azure colorway is one of many fun enamel pairings offered, bringing whimsy to the classic style of a monogramed signet ring.

A trade deal with Switzerland seems probable, but reaching an agreement with India remains a challenge, David Bonaparte said.

Botswana’s president said his country wants a controlling share, while Angola envisions multiple countries holding minority stakes.

The manufacturer is adding 1,400 chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactors to its growing facility in India.

The jeweler to the stars has worked with Drake, A$AP Rocky, Tyler the Creator, and other celebrities.