Ammolite

Ammolite is an opalescent organic gemstone found only on the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies. It is comprised of the fossilized shells of now extinct cephalopods called ammonites, as seen in the photos. These are made up of aragonite, a mineral found in nacreous pearls.

Also called calcentine, the recently identified ammolite is the official gem of Alberta (as of 2001) and of the city of Lethbridge (2007). Attractive pieces of ammolite may be found in the trading post at Fort Whoop-up, located in the historic Indian Battle Park on the Old Man River, in the city that has adopted it as an official symbol. The photos were taken in the gift shop of the Chateau Lake Louise.