17.25 Cts Natural shops Polished Ammolite Cabochon Loose Gemstone 25.6X19.3X4.5 MM EB46

Ammolite History
Since 1986 we have been proudly producing handmade polished Ammolite gemstones that we've collected from the only existing source in the world. Found only in a small area around southern Alberta Canada, it is truly a rare gem.
Commercially, Ammolite is made into three forms of gemstones. Naturals, Doublets and Triplets.
Ammolite comes from Ammonites. Because of the extreme geological pressure these fossils are subjected to over millions of years, they commonly have been altered in such a way as to distort their original form. In many cases they have been deformed or flattened to form compressed sheets. In this sheet form Ammolite is sometimes found with little or no host rock supporting it. To give these sheets stability for further processing we must add a stable backing. We use natural rock for this backing and call these stones Doublets. In most cases there is enough of its original stone attached for support so it doesn't require the addition of any extra backing. We call these Naturals.
In the Natural or Doublet form we are able to process and hand polish the natural surface of the gemstone to a fine luster.
Ammolite stones in the form of Triplets are usually comprised of gluing together 1-4 ultra thin layers or veneers of Ammolite. These composite stones are made by gluing a synthetic or natural clear top over these ultra thin sandwiched Ammolite veneers. These clear tops are usually made from preshaped quartz, glass or spinel and are easily identified because of their 3 color appearance. They are more of a novelty product along with OpalTriplets but are also accepted in the market place. Because shops this process requires the gluing together of multi layers these Triplets are prone to failing or delaminating over time.
In some cases, Ammolite is sold with an epoxy coating covering the stone. These stones are usually made by inexperienced processors who lack the technical skill it takes to make properly polished stones. These stones are essentially only the raw material made into shapes and covered over with epoxy. We don't consider these as gemstones, so buyer beware.
We hope the provided explanations of the various forms of the Ammolite gem making process are helpful in giving you the consumer a better understanding and knowledge as to make wise and informed purchasing choices.