Where can I dig for ammolite in Alberta?
Gemstone grade ammonites can only be found in southern Alberta near the St. Mary River and the Oldman River.
Where is ammolite mined in Canada?
Ammolite mining takes place in the Bearpaw Formation, which used to be the Bearpaw Sea of the Western Interior Seaway. This formation extends from Alberta to Saskatchewan and into Montana. Commercial extraction occurs only in Alberta due to the superior grade of gem found in this region.
Where are ammonite fossils in Alberta?
Bearpaw Shale Formation
These ammonites are found in the Cretaceous marine Bearpaw Shale Formation in south-central Alberta, centered around the city of Lethbridge. These deep shale formations are exposed in eroding cliffs along the river banks. These formations yield shells of three species of ammonites.
Where is ammonite found in Canada?
Alberta
Significant deposits of gem-quality Ammonite are only found in the Bearpaw formation that extends from Alberta to Saskatchewan in Canada and south to Montana in the USA. The best grade of gem quality Ammonite is along high energy river systems on the eastern slopes of the Rockies in southern Alberta.
Why is ammolite so expensive?
Just one area is known to yield gem-quality ammolite in commercial quantities, around the St. Mary River in Southern Alberta. Ammolite has been discovered in other areas but it is rarely of high-quality. The limited areal extent of this deposit is the primary reason why ammolite is so rare.
What rocks are commonly found in Alberta?
Alberta produces sandstone, siltstone, limestone, and fieldstone, and there is potential for granite, slate, and volcanic rock.
How old are ammolite Fossils?
about 70 –75 million years old
The gem material, from the extinct species Placenticeras meeki and P. intercalare, is found only in certain horizons of the Bearpaw Formation of Late Cretaceous age (about 70 –75 million years old). Because the iridescent layer is generally thin and fragile, most Ammolite is fashioned into assembled stones.
Where can I find ammonite?
The majority of the very well preserved ammonites are found in the limestone and can be found inside limestone nodules or lying loose on the beach. This rock is very hard and will require a good geological hammer and maybe a chisel to split.
What is the difference between ammolite and ammonite?
Ammonite Versus Ammolite Ammonites were living organisms which are found as fossils. Ammolite is a gemstone that comes from this same creature. It forms fractures during fossilization. To be specific, ammolite is the trade name given to the nacreous layer of the shell of ammonite fossils.
What type of rock is ammonite found in?
marine sedimentary rocks
Ammonites make excellent guide fossils for stratigraphy because: they evolved rapidly so that each ammonite species has a relatively short life span. they are found in many types of marine sedimentary rocks. they are relatively common and reasonably easy to identify.
Why is ammolite so rare?
Ammolite is actually one of the rarest gemstones in the world. This is because it is unique to a geological deposit known as the Bearpaw Formation. The limited areal extent of this deposit is the primary reason why ammolite is so rare.
Where can I find ammolite?
Bearpaw Formation
Ammolite is only found in the Bearpaw Formation, which extends from Alberta to Saskatchewan in Canada and south to Montana in the US. The best gem-quality ammolite is found along high-energy river systems on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in southern Alberta.
Where does ammolite mining take place in Canada?
Ammolite Mining Ammolite mining takes place in the Bearpaw Formation, which used to be the Bearpaw Sea of the Western Interior Seaway. This formation extends from Alberta to Saskatchewan and into Montana. Commercial extraction occurs only in Alberta due to the superior grade of gem found in this region.
Where can you find rainbow hued ammolite in Alberta?
While the animal’s fossils can be found around the world, a southern Alberta river basin is the only place where a confluence of factors made the mollusc into a gem. Rainbow-hued ammolite, an extremely rare gem found only in a southern Alberta river basin, studs a piece of shale held by spotters.
Where are the ammonite shells found in Alberta?
“The ammonite shell is found in the Bearspaw formation, which is in some places 300 feet below the surface around Lethbridge, Alberta,” said Jay Maull, president of Korite. Fortunately, the St. Mary River cuts through the formation.
Where can you find rare gems in Alberta?
Korite, a Calgary-based mining company, has discovered a rare gem called ammolite in Southern Alberta. Ammolite is brilliantly rainbow-coloured and found on fossilized ammonite, a squid-like fossil.