Banff is known for its stunning ammolite jewelry, one of the rarest gemstones in the world. But what is ammolite, where can you get it and is it a good investment? You’ll read it in this post.
If you walk into a souvenir shop in the town of Banff, chances are you’ll see ammonite jewelry on display. Their beautiful colors, predominantly red, green and purple, make them an attractive and exciting bijou which has nothing in common with the knickknack that most souvenirs are. In fact, ammolite can make for a compelling investment opportunity.
What is Ammolite?
Ammolite is a beautiful and precious stone, nowadays used to produce jewelry.
Ammolite is an organic gemstone found primarily on the Rocky Mountain’s east side. It is also known as calcentine, aaopak, and corite, and is similar to the well-known opal. The most common color of ammolite is a striking red and green. It is constructed from fossilized ammonite shells, mainly composed of aragonite.
Ammolite has been used to make jewelry since 1967 and has been officially recognized as a gemstone since 1981 by the Coloured Stones Commission of the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO). Nowadays, you can buy necklaces, earrings, rings and brooches with ammolite in them. They can be found in a variety of souvenir shops throughout the park. Feng Shui practitioners believe the stone can increase well-being and purify the body by improving energy flow, or “chi”.
What Are Ammonites?
Ammonites, particularly cephalopods, were mollusks that lived in the sea. They went extinct around 66 million years ago, near the end of the Cretaceous period. This was caused by an asteroid striking the earth, which resulted in global extinction. Winter’s lingering impacts on land and oceans halted photosynthesis, resulting in a significant reduction in food supply, eradicating the ammonites.
Ammonites utilized a buoyant shell with chambers. They were born with small armor and created new compartments as they grew. They relocated their entire body to a new section and partitioned their former, cramped living quarters with septa.
Ammonites came in a wide range of sizes, varying from a few millimeters to several meters. Bigger sizes became more common in the Late Jurassic period.
Why Is Ammolite so Rare?
Fossil ammonites can be found worldwide, sometimes in great numbers, but the ammolite found in Alberta occurs on only two extinct ammonite fossils (Placenticeras meeki and Placenticeras intercalare). This explains why ammolite is so rare.
It’s only found in the geological Bearpaw Formation and the only area where gem-quality ammolite is found in larger quantities is around the St. Mary River in southern Alberta. While ammolite has been discovered in other regions of North America, it is rarely of high quality. Korite International in Canada is the largest supplier of ammolite in the world.
The main reason why ammolite is so rare is the small deposit. According to estimates, ammolite can only be mined for a few more years. It has already become difficult to find high-quality ammolite. Therefore, all excavated material is screened for possible gem content and pits are examined by hand because of their valuable nature.
So, how much is ammolite worth, you ask? This depends on several factors, like its size and its colors. For instance, does the stone contain the more valuable colors violet and blue?
Is Ammolite a Good Investment?
The answer to this question is yes, probably. First, let me give you some general information about gemstones as an investment. Gemstones can be considered hard assets, just like gold or silver. The advantage of gemstones over gold and silver as investments is that they take up much less space when stored. Moreover, a gemstone is a natural product and when these resources are depleted, the gemstone prices will rise.
Gemstones will always have a hard value. In general, the fewer mining resources a gemstone has, the more likely it is that a particular gemstone will be in limited supply. The rarer it is, the greater the demand, and ammolite is one of the rarest gemstones in the world.
On top of that, all custom faceted gemstones will have more value than commercially cut gemstones because they are rarer. As with most gemstones, the price of ammolite depends heavily on its color, which is rated on a scale of one to five. The clarity of the gemstone is also rated.
When you want to purchase a piece of ammolite jewelry, don’t expect an overnight value increase. Still, in ten years from now, it’s not unthinkable the value will have gone up quite a bit.
What Colors Are Rare in Ammolite?
Ammolite comes in a wide variety of colors, but the dominant colors – found in most ammolite jewelry – are green and red. Violet and blue are rare and, typically, more valuable. So if you see a significant price difference between one set of ammolite earrings and the other, it might well be because of the dominant color of the gemstone. But keep in mind that other factors determine a gemstone’s value as well, like its clarity.
How to Determine the Quality of Ammolite?
This is, of course, not very easy if you’re a layman in this field. Still, you can do some things that help you determine if a stone is of good quality and, therefore, help you decide which piece of ammolite jewelry is probably a good item to purchase (besides your own personal preferences, of course).
Consider the following factors:
- To what extent does the stone contain a vivid display of multiple colors?
- How iridescent (angle-dependent color difference) is the stone?
- To what extent does the stone have a pleasing color pattern with minimal interruption by holes, inclusions or fractures?
Furthermore, it’s good to know that the highest quality raw gemstone is usually cut into “free shapes” to attain maximum carat weight. Designer jewelry incorporates these free forms. For commercial jewelry, other sorts of materials are carved into standard shapes.
Is Ammolite Expensive?
Ammolite does not have to be expensive. The price simply depends on the stone’s quality and whether it’s a commercial or a designer gemstone. Prices start at about CAD 100 and go up to several 1000s, depending on the stone’s quality.
Also, consider that mined ammolite initially looks beat up and nothing like the end product you’ll find in the park’s shops. Before being put on sale, they are restored, repaired and polished. This obviously adds to the cost of this rare gemstone.
Why Is Ammolite the Ultimate Banff Souvenir?
Because ammolite is so rare and mainly found on the east side of the Rocky Mountains, it is a genuinely regional gemstone. And because ammolite is both valuable and beautiful, it makes it very much worth your money. It’s a piece of jewelry that lasts a lifetime.
Can You Wear Ammolite Every Day?
If the gemstone is set in a triplet mounting, the answer is yes. Most ammolite for sale is made this way. Triplets are made of a stone crown and a stone lower section, with a layer of foil or other material in between to give the stone its color.
Because these gemstones are so delicate in their natural state, they must be placed between a layer of (typically) black onyx on the bottom and a layer of clear quartz on the top. With these protective materials, you can wear the ammolite gem practically anywhere.
Is There Fake Ammolite?
Yes, there is. Fake ammolite starts to make an appearance on the market. So make sure you know what to look out for when you’re about to purchase ammolite (see the paragraph below).
How to Spot Fake Ammolite?
Fakes can be identified by having a wide area of a single hue that does not change when you flip it under the light. As a result, always inspect the item under a bright light before purchasing. Another indication can be a suspiciously low price. Think CAD 40 or lower.
Where to Buy Ammolite in Banff?
There are several places in the park where you can buy ammolite. Below you’ll find an overview of the shops that sell the gemstone.
Banff
Ammolite In The Rockies
Address: 100 Banff Avenue, in the Clock Tower Mall
Phone: +1 403 762 4698
Website: –
Banff Jewels
Address: 215 Banff Avenue, in the Sundance Mall
Phone: +1 403 – 760 6608
Website: –
MJ Western Stones
Address: 208 Caribou Street
Phone: +1 403 – 760 0881
Website: mjwesternstones.ca
Rock & Gems
Address: 137 Banff Avenue
Phone: +1 403 762 4331
Website: rockandgemscanada.com
Stone’s Jewelry Ltd.
Address: 211 Banff Avenue, in the Park Avenue Mall
Phone: +1 403 – 762 5588
Website: –
Lake Louise
Images Of The North
Address: 111 Lake Louise Drive, inside Château Lake Louise
Phone: +1 403 – 522 3699
Website: thequestgallery.com
Moraine Trading Post
Address: 1 Moraine Lake Road, Unit 1
Phone: +1 877 522 2777
Website: morainelake.com
Samson Native Gallery
Address: 101 Village Road, Samson Mall
Phone: +1 403 – 522 3617
Website: samsonnativegallery.com
This is a topic that’s close to my heart… Thank you! Where are your contact details though?