Ammonite is a fossil, not a stone: the coiled shell of a sea animal that died out about 66 million years ago. The rainbow-shelled gem form is called ammolite. We do not carry either.
Fossil (extinct cephalopod shell)
Ammonite
Amonita
- Palette
- Brown Gray Multicolor
- Mined in
- Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Madagascar, Morocco
- Hardness
- Mohs 3.5–4.5 ?
- See-through
- opaque
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- Ammon, the ram-horned Egyptian god, for the coiled shape
- Also sold as
- snakestone, serpentstone, horn of Ammon, ammolite (the iridescent gem form)
- Intention
- Protection Abundance
- Looking for
- Protection Luck Prosperity
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Ammonite is a natural fossil shell, usually sold as it is. Some polished pieces are coated, or stabilized with wax or resin, to protect the surface.
Not in our pieces now
2 METERS
The giant Parapuzosia seppenradensis, from Cretaceous Germany, sometimes reached about 2 meters (6.6 feet) across.
10,000 SPECIES
Ammonites lived from roughly 409 million to 66 million years ago, and more than 10,000 species have been described.
INISKIM
The Blackfeet call iridescent ammonite shell iniskim, meaning buffalo stone.
What it is
Ammonite is a fossil, not a stone: the coiled shell of an extinct sea animal related to squid and octopus, turned to mineral over tens of millions of years. Polished slices show a spiral of chambers, and rarely the shell keeps a rainbow sheen, which is the gem called ammolite.
What gives it its color
Where an ammonite flashes red, green or blue, it is the original shell: stacked thin plates of aragonite bend the light (iridescence), so the color is structural, not a pigment.
Where it comes from
Gem-quality iridescent ammonite shell (ammolite) comes mainly from the Bearpaw Formation of southern Alberta, Canada, with small deposits in Utah; plain fossil ammonites turn up in Germany, England, Japan and the United States.
In history
The coat of arms of Whitby, England, recorded in a heraldic visit of 1530, shows three coiled snake-stones, which are ammonite fossils with snake heads added. Traders in medieval Europe sometimes carved or painted such heads onto ammonites to sell them as petrified snakes, and the architect George Dance the Younger later designed an Ammonite order with ammonite-shaped column capitals.
What's said about it
In older European folk belief, ammonites were snakes turned to stone, and some people kept them to ward off witches. Their name comes from the ram's horns of the god Ammon.
The Blackfoot call ammolite buffalo stone, and it has a place in their hunting tradition. That belongs to them, and we pass it on as folklore.
People wear slices as pendants or keep a whole fossil on a desk.
How people wear or keep it: As a pendant or earrings, on a desk or shelf, or in a pocket.
In crystal practice
Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: as a pendant or earrings, on a desk or shelf, in a pocket. People reach for it when they want protection, luck, prosperity, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
Also calledsnakestone, serpentstone, horn of Ammon
Care
- Soft and fragile; ammolite in particular chips and flakes, so it suits pendants, earrings and brooches better than bracelets.
- Clean only with mild soap, warm water and a soft cloth; no ultrasonic cleaners.
- Keep it away from acids, perfume, sweat and soaking, which can dull the shell and loosen it.
- Store wrapped on its own so harder stones do not scratch it.
How to tell what you have
- A real ammonite is a fossil spiral shell, mostly brown or gray, soft (about 3.5 to 4), and feels solid and heavy for its size.
- Look out for unnaturally bright colors, overly perfect shapes and light weight, which point to a resin copy or dyed piece. Ammolite, the rainbow-colored form, is a different and costlier material.
Rules and sourcing
Some polished ammonite pieces are coated or stabilized with wax or resin to protect the surface. The FTC jewelry guides call for a seller to disclose a coating, wax or resin.
Questions people ask at our table
Is ammonite a stone?
No. It is a fossil: the shell of an extinct sea animal, replaced by mineral over time. It sits with amber and jet as an organic or once-living material.
What is ammolite?
Ammolite is the rainbow-colored shell of certain ammonite fossils, mostly aragonite, found chiefly in southern Alberta, Canada. Its color is light interference in thin layers, not dye.
What is the buffalo stone?
Buffalo stone, or iniskim, is the Blackfoot name for ammolite and certain fossils. It belongs to the Blackfoot tradition and we report it here as their folklore.
Can I wear it every day?
Plain polished ammonite is tougher than ammolite but still soft. Ammolite is delicate and best in earrings or a pendant.
Do you carry it?
We do not. Related pieces we do carry include fossil jasper and shoushan stone.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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