Large Iridescent Canadian Ammonite (Ammolite) in Matrix

This incredible specimen is a stunning example of an iridescent Canadian ammonite in shale matrix. Its entire shell is preserved with gorgeous ammolite.

Ammolite is a rare, opal-like gemstone found in Alberta's Upper Cretaceous Bearpaw formation, just east of the Rocky Mountains. This piece displays extremely bright hues and all colours of the visible spectrum can be seen. It has excellent overall shape and fine details of the shell structure are present, including the ribbing of the living chamber. Complete specimens, especially with such intense coloration and lustre, are exceedingly rare.

The ammonite and shale matrix weighs approximately 93 kg (205 lbs).

This ammonite specimen is approximately 45 cm (17.5”) in diameter. Matrix measures 94 cm wide by 84 cm tall (37” X 33”)

Deposit: Bearpaw Formation

Location: Southern Alberta, Canada 

Age: Late Cretaceous (71 million years old)

Certificate of authenticity included

We offer a variety of Canadian ammonites, including smaller specimens and complete, double-sided specimens outside of the shale matrix.

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Ammonites belong to the Mollusca Phylum in a Class known as Cephalopods – “head-footed” creatures such as octopus and squid. They swam in ancient oceans from 400 million years ago, to their extinction, along with the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago.

Ammonites were free floating invertebrates that were attacked by plesiosaurs and mosasaurs, two groups of gigantic marine reptiles. One way that ammonites could avoid an attack was to quickly change their buoyancy levels, zig zagging and sinking rapidly.

These incredible prehistoric animals ranged in size from tiny species only a few centimetres in diameter to the monstrous Cretaceous ammonite, Parapuzosia seppenradensis, which grew to about 3 meters and would probably weigh close to 1500 kilograms!