Ammolite is a rare and unusual substance that is a fossilized form of the mineral aragonite. Ammolite comes from the ammonite fossil. Ammonite fossils are ancient shells that inhabited a shallow sea that covered southern Alberta, Canada between 70 and 135 million years ago. It is a multi-color organic gemstone that comes in green, red, yellow, orange and more rarely in blue and purple. The best ammolite stone will have very bright colors. The brighter and more lively a stone, the better. Whether the stone is green, red, yellow, blue, orange or purple is of secondary importance to the brightness, strength and quality of the color. Blue and purple are the rarer of the colors but they are often very dark. Bright colors are highly sought after, whether the ammolite is found in single colors or mixed colors. Ammolite may be found in many beautiful patterns and color combinations, each piece is unique. Ammonite shells are found all over the world, but southern Alberta is the only place in the world where the shells fossilize into the bright colors. Experts aren't sure why the fossilization process of the ammonites in southern Alberta varies from other ammonites found around the world. Some believe a volcanic eruption might have encased some of the ammonites in ironstone, which may be responsible for the unusual fossil colors. Only 5% of ammonites in southern Alberta have "ammolite" color, and only a small percentage of these are suitable to be made into jewellery. Ammonites may be found close to the surface, in riverbanks and up to seventy-five feet underground. The Blackfoot Indians of Canada called ammolite “iniskim” (I-nis’kim) or buffalo stone. According to a Blackfoot legend, it is said that one winter the Blackfoot people were starving as the snow had gotten deep and there were no buffalo around. The wife of a Blackfoot brave was out collecting firewood for the tribe when she heard singing. She followed the singing and found a piece of ammolite placed in a cottonwood tree on a mat of buffalo hair. There a spirit told her to take the stone as it was a powerful talisman of the buffalo. The woman picked up the ammolite and brought it back to her people. The people then had a buffalo ceremony to call the buffalo. The next morning a huge herd of buffalo was seen close by. Ever since then there has been a piece of ammolite in every painted lodge of the Blackfoot people. The Indians also believed the ammonite fossil to be a good omen as the shell grew in a circle, showing the cycle of life. They believed the creature to be unending, and this is proved by the over 70 million year life span. Ammolite is also an important stone in Feng Shui, as practitioners believe the ammolite has absorbed cosmic energy for over 70 million years. Reds symbolize good luck, love, and energy, orange is good for creativity and libido, yellow is good for balance and health, green is good for growth, fertility, and wisdom, blue is good for knowledge and faith, and purple is good for power and authority. Feng Shui practitioners believe that ammolite promotes a happy home, and that it promotes prosperity
