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Ammolite Gemstone Information

ammolite gemstone

Ammolite is celebrated globally for its naturally captivating rainbow colors and layers of vibrant iridescence. Ammolite originates from prehistoric marine fossils that date back 71-million years and received official gem status as recently as 1981 by the World Jewellery Confederation. Feng Shui experts believe its colorful display awakens positive energy and stimulates creativity, energy, wisdom, intellect and wealth. Wearers and collectors call ammolites “gems of enlightenment.” 

Color

Ammolite’s luminous qualities rival the black opal for color and fire. Ammolite reflects a rainbow’s worth of colors (red, orange, yellow, blue, green, purple and more), and the luminous color spectrum in each gem is unique. Browse ammolite gemstone jewelry in our Jewelry Gallery.

Origins

To date the only source of ammolite is in Alberta, Canada.


Durability

Naturally, ammolite is a soft gemstone with a 3.5-4 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. A protective spinel crystal is often applied to protect the ammolite gem, increasing the hardness to 8.5.


Enhancements

Ammolites are not generally treated. It’s all-natural color is its most distinctive feature.


Care & Cleaning

  • As with most gemstone jewelry, you want to minimize scratching and wear, so store each piece of fine jewelry separately in a soft cloth or padded container.
  • Ammolite jewelry is best cleaned with warm, sudsy water and a tightly woven microfiber or other soft cloth. 
  • Most importantly, take all your fine jewelry to a professional jeweler, like a local Jewelers of America Member jewelry store, at least twice a year for a thorough cleaning and inspection.
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Peridot

peridot-gia-600x300

Peridot gemstones were once thought to contain rays of sunshine, an observation likely borne from its golden to deep green glow when in sunlight. The Egyptians first found peridot at Zabargad, a Red Sea island and peridot was found in jewelry from the early 2nd millennium BCE. Peridot gemstones were thought to protect wearers from evil spirits. Peridot is a gemstone everyone can enjoy. It is one of the August birthstones, but those born in other months may also take pleasure from its beauty.

Peridot Facts

  • Peridot is the gem-quality green variety of olivine.
  • Egypt was an early source of peridot but is no longer a commercial producer of it. Burma (Myanmar) and, more recently, China, Pakistan and the United States are the world’s most productive sources today. Australia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Norway and Sri Lanka are sources too, but have not produced significant commercial quantities in recent years.
  • Peridot has a hardness of 6.5-7.0 on the Mohs Hardness Scale.
  • Peridot gemstones can be cut into many shapes and sizes, often as faceted gems and sometimes as cabochons or beads.
  • Peridot can be yellowish green to greenish yellow to brownish-green. Some contain inclusions that cause internal stresses, which produce discoid fractures known as lily pad inclusions.

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