Fossil
The iridescent nacre of Cretaceous ammonites from a single formation in southern Alberta — one of only a handful of biogenic gemstones. Color runs from common red and green through the far rarer blue and violet, in dragon-skin, ribbon or sheet patterns.
Gem-grade ammolite is almost always stabilised, doublet or triplet-mounted because the nacre layer is under a millimetre thick. Look for bright color shift across the whole face rather than a few flashes, and ask whether the piece is natural, doublet or triplet.
Soft and layered. No ultrasonics, no heat, no prolonged water. Wipe dry only.
The Blackfoot Confederacy calls the stone iniskim, buffalo stone, and it appears in some of the oldest recorded medicine bundles of the northern plains.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
See it in person
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.