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Ammolite at the Franklin Gem & Mineral Museum
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- This photograph copyright ©2007. Terms of use
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- Format: Photograph
- Date created: July 30, 2007
- Location: Franklin, North Carolina
- File: JPEG (109 KB)
- Size: 800×533
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This is a chunk of ammolite at the Franklin Gem & Mineral Museum in Macon County, North Carolina. Ammolite is a biogenic gemstone, meaning that it is formed by life processes. Other biogenic gems include amber and pearl. Ammolite is made up by the fossilized shell of the ammolite, which is in turn mostly made of argonite. It generally comes in thin, delicate sheets and often contains other trace minerals, which lower the stone’s value if it is sold on the market. Occasionally entire ammolite shells are found.
The Franklin Gem & Mineral Museum is housed in the historic old jail in downtown Franklin, North Carolina. The nearby mines are known in particular for their rubies and sapphires.