Rocks for the Spirit

Ammonite Fossil Extraction🐚🌈 These beautiful Ammonite fossils are found in southern Alberta, Canada, where they’ve been preserved in shale for over 70 million years. Ammonites were squid-like creatures that lived in coiled shells, and this specimen comes from the Bearpaw Formation, a geological site known for producing some of the most well-preserved Ammonites in the world. Many of these fossils reveal a vivid layer of Ammolite, an iridescent mineral (Aragonite) that forms on the surface of the original shell. Ammolite is prized for its striking iridescent colors, ranging from red, orange, and yellow to green, blue, and occasionally purple. The colors are completely natural and result from millions of years of pressure and mineralization. Ammolite is found almost exclusively in this region and is recognized as Canada’s official gemstone. Because Ammolite is relatively soft with a Mohs hardness of 3-4, Ammolite is often stabilized with epoxy or laquer to improve its durability. (Note: the fossil shown in the ground and the prepared specimen are not the same individual—this video illustrates the general process from discovery to preparation.) Extraction video courtesy of @koriteammolite at the Korite Mine in Southern Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦

Sometimes the smallest Agates are the most impressive!😍 A fun find from our digging adventures at the Laguna Mine in Mexico with @Agates from Mexico!🔥

Is Rainbow Obsidian Natural?🌈🤔

There's something MAGICAL inside!🩵😍 Recently we drove out to the Nevada Desert to dig up some of the beautiful and highly coveted Royston Turquoise! We weren't sure if we found anything amazing until we got home and polished everything up and we were so surprised!!! Several of the raw chunks that looked like dirt were actually hiding some stunning Turquoise inside, like this piece here. As we polished away the exterior, the blues began to show along with the amazing spider web pattern that this Mine is famous for.