Product Details

Specifications Specimen: Red iridescent ammonite Size: 1.77" across Color: Vivid red with orange/gold flashes Geological Age: Late Cretaceous (70–110 million years old) Material: Fossilized aragonite (ammolite layer) Finish: Professionally polished Display: Ready for collection or décor Condition: Natural fossil; no artificial coloring This specimen represents an iridescent ammonite from the Late Cretaceous (70–110 million years ago). Ammonites were marine cephalopods related to squids and octopuses. Their shells were originally made of aragonite, a mineral that can undergo interference iridescence when compressed and preserved under the right geological conditions. Red is among the most desired colors in iridescent ammonites because it requires precise fossilization conditions; the microscopic layering of aragonite plates refracts light to produce brilliant red fire. These structural color layers are the same phenomenon responsible for the vibrant flashes seen in opal and certain s...