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Lot Description

A Large Iridescent Ammonite Fossil (Placenticeras costatum)

Late Cretaceous Period, Circa 75 million years ago

Height 16 1/4 (41.3 cm).

This lot is located in Chicago.

Provenance:
Discovered in the Blood Reserve, Alberta, Canada.
Legally exported under Alberta Canada Cultural Property.
(Export Permit 7012-21-11-25-353)

A magnificent example of one of the most spectacular fossils. An extremely fine and intensely vibrant ammonite, the surface of this long extinct marine creature has transformed over millennia into a dazzling, iridescent gemstone. Its colors constantly shift with the light from vivid reds to emerald greens, to flickers of orange and gold, purples, and brilliant blues. This stunning effect is a natural result of the fossilization process, a unique phenomenon only found on ammonites recovered from one location in Canada. Most fossils of this kind are heavily restored, or pastiches, and their color is artificially enhanced with varnishes. This is a completely preserved, natural piece with its original surface.

Condition Report

Height with stand 18 1/2 inches (47 cm).

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