LARGE IRIDESCENT AMMONITE
BEARPAW FORMATION, CANADA, UPPER CRETACEOUS, 75 - 72 MILLION YEARS B.P.
Estimate: £20,000 - £30,000
Auction: 13 March 2025 from 13:00 GMT
Description
specimen of Placenticeras meeki showing iridescence of red, green, yellow and orange to both sides
Dimensions
51cm wide
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.