Imagine holding in your hand a 110 million year old fossil. Some ammonites are much older than that, up to 450 million years old. Even older than the dinosaurs. Oceans at the time were teeming with life. Predators were everywhere. And it was a live fast, or die hard world for the ammonites. In fact, ammonites closely resemble modern squids, octopus and the chambered nautilus. Ammonites were carnivores as well.
Fossils were once found only in museums - NOW you can OWN one!!! You can hold in your hand a part of the ancient fossil record from the time the dinosaurs roamed the earth.
This is the NEW batch from Madagascar. I brought in for TUCSON SHOW with some of the best color and deepest cavities/pockets around, excellent batch!!! Super nice crystals, absolutely the best I have seen in years.
Description: Ammonite Pair Split, Cut and Polished. LESS THAN 1 in 100 is a black ammonite. Very RARE and highly prized by collectors. These were found only 1 in 1000 ammonites. However you are in luck as they have a new find in Madagascar. These will NOT last. So you can pick one up for a better price.
As I have predicted very few large Black ammonites came in the last shipment. Only small ones, which usually means that they are about to get past the Black Ammonite level. So they will be hard to get next year, and the price will surely go up in the next few years.
Cleoniceras - These most colorful ammonites come from Madagascar, off the coast of Africa. Cleoniceras is the most common type in Madagascar. 99% of the ammonites found in Madagascar are this species, with a smooth shell and angled segments. The animal actually lived in the very last segments. Variations in price are due to color differences and how many crystal cavities (or open 'cave like' structures) in the segments. On average 110 million years old.
Weight (lbs): 6.1 # Picture 8 shows how this one has a rough repair.
Weight (gm): 2800 grams
Size (inches): 9.6" x 7.8"
Size (mm): 243mm x 200mm
Mine location: Tulear, Madagascar
Item Number: 9045 y 104
Retail value: $1250 in retail stores
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Facts about ammonites -
Closest living relative - Octopus, Squid, Cuttlefish and it's closest MODERN cousin is the Chambered Nautilus.
First appeared - in shallow seas 450 million year ago.
Extinct - in a catoclysmic event in the Cretaceous, with the dinosaurs about 65 million years ago.
Began life - less than 1 mm in diameter. About the size of a period in this sentence. But they grew fast.
Females - reported to grow 400% bigger than males.
Shells - comprised of chambers growing as the ammonite did. Making 13 new chambers each year. The ammonite lived in the last section, called the living segment.
Medieval Europe - Ammonites were thought to be petrified snakes. They were called "snakestones" or "serpent stones". Ammonites were said to be evidence for the actions of St. Hilda and St. Patrick - who drove the snakes out of Ireland. In ancient times, traders would carve the face of a snake into the wide end of the ammonite fossil and sell them to the public.
The name Ammonite - comes from their spiral shape. The fossilized shells somewhat resembled tightly coiled rams' horns. Pliny the Elder (79 A.D. near Pompeii) called these fossils - ammonis cornua ("horns of Ammon") . Because the Egyptian god Amman was typically depicted wearing ram's horns.
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Types of ammonites -
Cleoniceras - These most colorful ammonites come from Madagascar, off the coast of Africa. 99% of the ammonites found in Madagascar are this species, with a smooth shell and angled "S-shaped" segments. The animal actually lived in the very last segments. (Variations in price are due to color differences and how many crystal cavities (or open 'cave like' structures) in the segments.) On average they lived 110 million years old.
Cymatoceras - Wide body Madagascar ammonites, with "C" shaped cavities. Some stand on their own and do not need stands. Much rarer than the regular narrow body Cleoniceras. More like a Wide Body Nautilus. (Limited quantities) Almost all gone. They are past this level of digging. Saw no new ones in Tucson.
Perisphinctes - Less than 1% of Madagascar ammonites are this type. Ridges are on the back from a complete different growth pattern. The chambers are also more compact and of a different shape. Frequently one of the most brightly colored. On normal ammonites, the middle is thicker. On Perisphinctes the inner coils are smaller which is a rare occurance among ammonites. These always command a high price. (RARE) ONLY a couple left. NONE in Tucson. (Almost sold out)
Anapuzosia - WIDE Body with D shaped segments inside. (Regular Cleoniceras have S shaped segments) These are from a new areas of Madagascar and I am not sure how much longer they will last. Very deep crystal cavities make them desirable. New find of small ones. These will not last, like many on this list they will be past that digging level soon. Then they may not be available (Limited)
Phylloceras - WIDE Body with an odd V shape segment. (Regular Cleoniceras have S shaped segments) These are from a new areas of Madagascar and I am not sure how much longer they will last. Very deep crystal cavities make them very desirable. (VERY Limited) Almost sold out.
Desmoceras - A Medium Body Ammonite similiar to the thin Cleoniceras, but wider body with a tighter coil of the shell. Usually with V- Shaped segments. Unlike the Cleoniceras which S-Shaped segments. ( were Limited supply) SOLD OUT I keep telling folks, when they are gone they are gone...
Goniatites - Curved ammonites from Morocco. Small ones are moderately common. Large ones up to 12" are much rarer and in higher demand as decorator pieces. Even the medium size ones 5-8" are getting very hard to obtain. And the price will continue to rise. The reason? Very few have been found in the last three years. The wide ones frequently stand by themselves, so they are always in high demand. Usually grey, black and white in color. Sometimes in earth tones of brown and tan.
Goniatites are frequently 400 million years old, some of the oldest ammonites. (small ones 2-4" are moderately common. Medium and Large are rarer - especially ones over 5". I had to dig under tables at Tucson. Open boxes and then beg the only two suppliers of these to sell me some. They both tried to limit how many any one dealer could get. Had to go back several days and bug them to get the quantity I did.) ONLY a few large ones in Tucson, they found very few this year. The water level is too high. So there will not be anymore. Almost sold out.
Update - In fact, the old pocket has run out. A new mine started and a few have trickled out. However the cost is 2X to 3X what I have been paying. So best to get them before I have to buy the new higher priced one!!!
Orthoceras - Straight ammonites from Morocco. Frequently found with round Morocco ammonites called goniatites. About 400 million years old, some of the oldest ammonites. These are cephalopods like modern squid and octopus. They mine these natural fossils in Morocco and have to cut away quite a bit of material to free them from the rock matrix. Then polish them to a high shine. An incredible fossil at a affordable price. These are FREE standing, no need for stand.
Check our other listings for these and other types of fine ammonites!!!
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New Tucson Ammonite finds:
Madagascar:
****NEW FIND*** Spinoceras - Russian BLACK AND PYRITE ammonites. Usually these are high end collector ONLY ammonites. Normally costing $4,000 to $7,000 as they are that RARE. I managed to get my hands on a very, very few reasonably price ones in the $1,000 - $2000 range for Large ones. Normally the nice ones are $4,000 to $7,000. It appears the river in Russia this Fall was running very high. The river washed away a large area of the bank exposing these RARE ammonites. So instead of seeing maybe 20 in Tucson I saw 200. I jumped on these great find. If I don't sell them online, they go to my Fall shows and the collectors will eat them up. THESE will DEFINITELY NOT LAST. The price will surely rise back to the former level of $4000 - $7000. So definitely a good investment.
***NEW FIND*** BLACK AMMONITE - LESS THAN 1 in 100 is a black ammonite. Very RARE and highly prized by collectors. Five years ago these "were" found only 1 in 1000 ammonites. However you are in luck, as they have a new find in Madagascar. These will NOT last. So you can pick one up for a better price. Last year they hit a large quantity of these. Tucson I saw maybe 10% of the volume I saw last year. The price is sure to go back up when this new pocked of black ammonties run out. You better get them now before the price goes back up and the quantity & quality go down. LIMITED SUPPLY When they dig past this level "that's all folks."
***NEW FIND***
Margarite Daisy ammonite (probably Choffaticeras) - Tucson new find from Madagascar!!!! So they are in all probability only found at ONE level of digging. The people in Madagascar call them Margarite or "Daisy" flower ammonites as they resemble a local daisy flower. Chambers have large crystal cavities with nice botryoidial (bumpy) formations. Supersize the pictures for better viewing. ALL SOLD OUT in Tucson. Mine are the last ones you will see....
Colors range from brown to grey to the ones I bought are more BLONDE. Another dealer and good friend of mine had these, so I scooped up all the pretty ones he had. Left a couple of grey ones for another dealer. And yes they were not cheap, but when you see something this rare you have to grab it while is is available. I saw only one other ammonite dealer in Tucson was WHOLESALING (i.e. selling to dealers&/stores) the two he had were for over $2000 each. Mine were much better color and more reasonably priced.
All of them appear to be HUGE as no small ones are found. So don't bother asking. Everything we have is listed. And we found no small ones. No one did. Ultra RARE, get them while they last, and they will not last long. Universities are buying them up, for scientific study. They are that RARE. In Tucson, I saw only two (and they were not very nice, I know why they were left) . Almost sold out.
When I tell you to get them NOW while they last, I mean it. See the ones below that are sold out.
Temporarily SOLD out - When I say they are limited, "good ones" are limited. And we won't buy inferior specimens.
Kosmoceras or Pyrite ammonites - Pyrite actually replaces the animal shell. A very odd occurance. (Calcite replaces the animal shell in most of the other ammonites.) Pyrite ammonites are species Kosmoceras. Kosmoceras frequently have a opalized shell on the outside. Occasionally this shell is rainbow iridescent. Stunning colors of red, green, blue and other bright colors. In Russia, they use a chemical solution to remove the shell on one-half of the ammonite. This exposed the pyrite segments inside. These are only found in Russia, in the Volga River area. Most are around 165 million years old. Sold out. Saw none in Tucson.
Temporarily back in - but the last we may see for a while...
Caloceras johnstoni - Beautiful rainbow iridescent ammonite imprinted into shale. Golden bronze colored with sparkling rainbow highlights throughout. These were very thin-walled Ammonites, which were crushed by tons of rock and debris during fossilization. This is the case with most of the Ammonites found in the UK. Flattening of the specimen therefore, has increased the area of iridescence of the shell. Making them absolutely beautiful.
The shell is composed of alternating layers of conchiolin and aragonite along with other minerals that have replaced the shell during this fossilization process. These not only transmits light but also diffract it. Thus acting much as a "Rowland prism" to divide light into its component parts with certain wave lengths being heavily reinforced: glowing greens, spectacular reds with occasional brilliant blues and yellows. The strongest most vibrant colors frequently start to show thru.
These Jurassic Ammonites are about 200 million years old and some of the RAREST in the world. They come from Doniford Bay, Somerset UK and have fossilized in a brilliant metallic BRONZE ammolite like finish. These are very difficult to photograph and look much better in person. They are truly beautiful and hard to capture in their true stunning colors.
The chase - Ahead of the show, I contacted the only guy that has them in Tucson last year. He is from the UK. Told him I wanted them all, fine, he would be in on certain date. I got to his room at the appointed 9 a.m. the day before show even started. He had sold them all to a store owner. I was not happy. I managed to find another supplier at another hotel. Much nicer ones than we usually see. BUT these are HUGE, larger than a tennis ball can lid. Most of the others on the internet are quarter size to occasionally silver dollar size. These are over 3.5" and I had to pay up, but the quality is worth it. According to three different UK mineral dealers they guy that was getting these had to get a "proper job" and quit digging. There well be no more of these. Ultra RARE. No discount.
Psiloceras planorbis - Beautiful rainbow iridescent ammonite imprinted into shale. Metallic baby blue colored with sparkling rainbow highlights throughout. These were very thin-walled Ammonites, which were crushed by tons of rock and debris during fossilization. This is the case with most of the Ammonites found in the UK. Flattening of the specimen therefore, has increased the area of iridescence of the shell. Making them absolutely beautiful. More blue tone than Caloceras, above, smaller and more affordable. Slightly more common, however the price has been rising.... (Rare, always in short supply and always will be rare)
We angle the pictures to show the colors that is why there are several from the same angle.
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The best I saved for last!!! Back by popular demand.
Heteromorph - These are the strangest animals around. A long "J hook" then a ammonite type shell. At least 117myo. (I am trying to find more research, as I recall reading somewhere that some species could be over 450 million years old and a precurser to the other ammonites.) There is some speculation they also partially buried themselves in the mud and held their tentacles in unique way to feed, thus the shape. This is all speculation.
Normally I only see 18-24" ones that are between $800 and $2000. However I found only 10 small ones in the 3-4" range. Normally they go for over $150 for the small ones in stores.
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Madagascar Ladies Coop - Most ammonites come from Madagascar, off the coast of Africa. Madagascar has all the problems that that the African continent has. One way you and I can combat this is to buy our ammonites from a 'Ladies Coop'. This is where I get my ammonites. Not all dealers buy from this source. We will get to the 'ladies coop' in a minute.
A few facts about Madagascar - Average per capita income is $1000 to $1553 per year. With an average family size of 6.6.
That makes the average family income in Madagascar $6,600 to $10,000 per year. Enough for the basics, but not much else. Imagine trying to feed your family of 6-7 people with only $6600 per year?
Madagascar families have hard working people, they don't want a 'hand out'. But folks, we can give them a 'hand up'. The men go out and do the digging and rough surface mining. Hot sweaty, back breaking work. The women at the 'ladies co-op' work together as a team. Splitting or cutting the ammonite down the middle with a diamond saw. Then polishing the inside to a high gloss and then polishing outside to show the shells' true variety. This usually takes over 6 hours per ammonite.
Today 90% of the animals on Madagascar are found no where else. Even in ancient times the ammonites of Madagascar's shallow sea were unique. And no other local produces ammonites of such wide ranging colors. Of the affordable ammonites, Madagascar produces the best and most colorful.
Your purchase helps feed a family in Madagascar.
If you want combined shipping PLEASE email us,
Box Size – USPS PRIORITY FLAT RATE | USA | Canada* | Worldwide* |
SMALL Flat Rate Box - Priority 8-1/2" x 5" x 1.5" 21cm x 12cm x 3.5cm (About the size of an old VHS/Betamax tape) | $7.15 | C$32 ($24.95usd) | 32euro ($34.95usd) |
SMALL/MEDIUM Priority Box 7" x 7" x 6" 17cm x 17cm x 15cm (Domestic & Intl. 2#/1kg limit) (About the size you could ship a tea cup in) | $10.88 | C$54 ($41.55usd) | 53euro ($58usd) |
MEDIUM Flat Rate Box -Priority 5" x 8" x 11" 12cm x 20cm x 27cm (International 10#/4.5kg Limit) (About the size of a child’s shoe box) | $13.60 | C$60 ($45.95usd) | 70euro ($75.95usd) |
LARGE Flat Rate Box - Priority 5"x 12" x 12" 13cm x 30cm x 30cm (International 20#/9kg limit) (About the size of 10 dinner plates stacked up) (50% Larger than a Medium) | $18.85 | C$78 ($59.95usd) | 88euro ($95.95usd) |
NEW International First Class Service USPS rates | Size | CANADA shipping* | INTERNATIONAL shipping in EUROS** |
SMALL Envelope/Box | 1 to 7 ounces 28 to 199 grams | 12cad ($9.50usd) | 13euros ($13.50usd) |
MEDIUM Box | 8 ounces to 2 pounds 200 to 1000grams | 20cad ($15.50usd) | 21euros ($22.50usd) |
LARGE Box | 2 pounds to 3 pounds 1000 to 1360grams | 33cad ($24.50usd) | 32euros ($35.40usd) |
LARGEST Box ALLOWED | 3 pounds to 4 pounds 1361 to 1800grams | 49cad ($36.50usd) | 53euros ($57.25usd) |
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Stands -IF shown for display only and are NOT included in the auction.
Repairs - All fossils have some repairs. Being buried under tons of rubble tends to be rough. None comes out of the ground perfect and whole. Almost all fossils have repairs. One of the reasons I photograph the back is so that you can see the repair work that has been done. Generally you can not tell from the front that an ammonite/fossil has been repaired.
Almost all of the fossils you see in a musuem have had some type of repair work done. Only tiny fossils have minimal repair work on them. The folks in Madagascar do a very professional job, however occasionally natural cracks are visible on the surface. This is part of the natural beauty of the fossil and not considered a defect. Simply hit 'supersize' on the picture to get a bigger view.
Photography - Ammonites, especially the opalized ones are not easy to photograph. I photograph outside in full sun for true color rendition. Occasionally clouds come over that make the color less than it really is. On rare occasions I supplement with a flash to highlight details. Lighting ammonites correctly will bring out their best color. Halogen works the best. The hand or finger in the photo is to give you a comparision of size. We realize it is hard to tell the size of an ammonite by the picture alone. Keep in mind different monitors display colors differently. We edit with ammonite next to us, so we can get as close to the correct color as possible. However when we move the very same laptop from living room to office sometimes the colors look slightly different even on the same computer. The dime is for comparision .70" or 7/10 of an inch or 18mm.
Measurements - All ammonites are measured from the tip to across. This is the industry standard. Then we measure across.
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combined shipping.
It takes lots of eBay paperwork to do a refund.
Shipping to Russia Federation and former Soviet Union states - Unfortunately the US Post office now makes us take all packages to former USSR TO the post office. (How they can see thru the box to see if it is dangerous I don't know?) Why Russia.... I do not know? However I can no longer pay my daughter $20 to go the post office, stand in a long line, to ship your $15 item. We just don't have the time. IF you want to buy $200usd or more we will do it. Just email us thru ebay with a list. This is why a lot of eBay sellers are no longer shipping to the former USSR. We will allow purchases when the US post office changes their policy.
EMAILS - PLEASE email us here thru ebay.
Notes in Paypal and Request Total - Paypal and combined shipping unfortunately have a 'notes' section. However WE DO NOT see the notes!!! Please do not use them. We have to click on each paypal transaction to see the note, and with 40 transactions some days there is no way. Also we only go to paypal once a week to move money to the bank. So that is why sellers do not respond to notes left there.
Same for 'combined shipping'- ebay ONLY sends us a icon on our payment page saying you want combined shipping. However ebay does NOT send us your note, we have to go to our personal email address and open each one, to see IF maybe someone sent a note. We never even know you sent a note.
PLEASE just email us here!!!
Conclusion - Fossils, and ammonites in particular, at one time were only found in museums. And cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. Today YOU can own a piece of the fossil record. An animal that lived over 100 million years ago.