Ammolite Pendant, Ron Kless

Ammolite Pendant, Ron Kless Original

Ron Kless has been a rock hound his entire life.  His family has been on the coast since the late 40’s.   In 1965 Ron joined the Clackamette Mineral and Gem club.  He attended lapidary classes for making cabs, lamps, and tables using a variety of minerals.  Ron was inspired by many shows over the years and took up wire wrapping as a passion.  Having the flexibility of shapes and varieties of minerals Ron perfected his craft.

In 1993 Ron and his family moved to the coast.  On the coast he became a member of the North Lincoln Agate club where he was a member until 2014.  He is a self taught wire wrapper and is considered one of the best.  Rons passion for the craft has turned his items into one of a kind work of art.

Ammolite is a rare and stunningly beautiful organic gemstone found primarily in the Bearpaw Formation of southern Alberta, Canada. This unique gemstone is derived from the fossilized shells of ammonites, marine mollusks that thrived in ancient seas around 70 to 75 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period. The vivid and iridescent colors of ammolite are the result of the intricate structure of the shell material, which reflects light in a way that produces a mesmerizing play of colors.

The Bearpaw Formation, a geologic formation spanning parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Montana, is renowned for its rich deposits of ammonite fossils. Ammonites themselves are extinct relatives of modern cephalopods like squids and octopuses, and their spiral shells, often with intricate ribbing and patterns, have been found in various fossil beds around the world. However, the specific conditions in the Bearpaw Formation led to the unique preservation of these shells as ammolite.

Ammolite’s formation begins with the death of the ammonite. Over millions of years, the organic material in the shell underwent mineralization, where aragonite, a form of calcium carbonate, replaced the original shell material. This process, combined with the geological pressures and the unique mineral composition of the surrounding sediment, resulted in the thin, layered structure of ammolite. These layers are what cause the gemstone’s characteristic iridescence. When light hits the surface of the ammolite, it is diffracted by these layers, creating a spectrum of vibrant colors.

The color spectrum of ammolite is one of its most striking features, often displaying a range of hues from green and blue to red, orange, and even purple. The quality of the color and the variety within a single piece of ammolite can significantly affect its value. Higher quality specimens exhibit a full spectrum of colors with strong, bright hues and a high degree of iridescence. The rarity and beauty of these colors have made ammolite highly sought after both as a gemstone for jewelry and as a collectible fossil.

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