snolly50 Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 (edited) Here is an aggregation of rough ammolite. It rests on the vanity of the guest suite's bath in Palatial snolly Manor. The chunks were obtained from a Canadian jewelry producer, specializing in ammolite items. My hypothesis is that the ammolite layer on these pieces was judged too thin or fractured to warrant cutting as stones for jewelry. The ammolite remains backed by thick ironstone and the pieces have been heavily consolidated. Given the varied angles of their faces, they make an ever shifting display as one moves about the room. Edited April 21, 2021 by snolly50 2 10 Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 WOW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted April 22, 2021 Share Posted April 22, 2021 They sure do slather the consolidant on, don't they? They're definitely colorful, and I don't know why a person could not make jewels out of those, by trimming them down to the desired shapes and thinness (grinding around the edges and back), even if you still have an uneven upper surface. But probably the lapidaries who work with this stuff have better pieces to work with, as you say, and pass on the lesser stuff to others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snolly50 Posted April 23, 2021 Author Share Posted April 23, 2021 1 hour ago, Wrangellian said: slather the consolidant on Yes, these are really overdone. It looks like they were dipped in an overly thick consolidant and left to "drip dry." I would prefer them uncoated, but they do shine nicely, as is, and I can leave them laying about without any environmental concerns. Many years ago I had the opportunity to buy a complete, approx. 1 foot diameter ammonite; that was covered in bright multi-colored ammolite. They wanted $400. Not being familiar with the material and $400 being significant, I passed. It was stunning. I regret not buying it. Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted April 23, 2021 Share Posted April 23, 2021 Yeah, by the sound of that, $400 would have been a lottery win. I regret not pulling the trigger on things in years past which seemed pricey but have since skyrocketed... Story of our lives. I have one ammolite ammo, not as colorful, but it's probably the best I'll ever manage to get (it was given to me). Some kind of glossy consolidant in patches, I wish I knew how to remove it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoda Posted April 23, 2021 Share Posted April 23, 2021 I have seen complete specimens for sale. The cost is eye watering. Well beyond me. But they are really nice. 1 MotM August 2023 - Eclectic Collector Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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