Lot 10
LARGE IRIDESCENT AMMOLITE SPECIMEN
BEARPAW FORMATION, CANADA, UPPER CRETACEOUS, 75 - 72 MILLION YEARS B.P.
Auction: 28 May 2026 from 13:00 BST
Description
specimen of Placenticeras meeki showing iridescence of red, green, yellow and orange to both sides, raised on a bespoke mount
Dimensions
37cm diameter
Footnote
Once a living creature, a large mollusc living in the shallow temperate seas in what is now central Canada, the eons have literally transformed this specimen into a gemstone. Over millions of years, continual compression and the interaction of various minerals have transformed the shell into the opal-like gemstone ammolite. Significant deposits of this substance are only found at the Bearpaw Formation, with the present piece being a particular magnificent example.