Ammolite
A rainbow of colour
This specimen clearly shows the 'scales' effect.
|Structure: Amphorous|Composition: Calcium Carbonate|MoH's Hardness: 5½|
A recently acknowledged (within the last 50 years) gemstone from metamorphosed ammonite fossils.
The fossil has taken on the appearance of a butterfly wing, with hundreds of tiny luminous scales.
This gemstone was first described in 1969 and officially recognised as a gem in 1981.
With a formation similar to that of pearl, as layers of aragonite build up the irridescence.