Iridescent Placenticeras meeki Ammonite Fossil

Iridescent Placenticeras meeki ammonite fossil on display at The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano (Milan Natural History Museum), Italy as of August 2019. It is quite a beautiful fossil and probably one of the most valuable (price-wise) with exception to the dinosaurs on display there.
It dates to the upper Cretaceous Period and was found in Canada. I would estimate the fossil was at least 30 cm in diameter.

What makes the fossil so valuable is that it is composed of a organic gem-like material ammolite. Ammolite is a biogenic gemstone like pearl and amber. The material comes from the ancient shells of cephalopods. The creatures swam in what was known as the Western Interior Seaway which stretched from today's Arctic Ocean, through western Canada and United States and down to the Gulf of Mexico.

Placenticeras intercalare Ammonite Fossil

This ammonite fossil was on display at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York city in July 2018. The ammonite fossil is named Placenticeras intercalare. It was found in the Bearpaw Formation, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada and dates to the Cretaceous Period (75 million years ago). Accession number is Fl-56701. Donated by Korite International and Canada Fossils Ltd.

The ammonite fossil shell is now iridescent caused by being exposed to high pressures and temperatures. The marine creature existed in the Western Interior Seaway that covered the middle of what is now the North American continent. The seaway existed from about 75-65 million years ago.

What makes the fossil so valuable is that it is composed of a organic gem-like material ammolite. Ammolite is a biogenic gemstone like pearl and amber. The material comes from the ancient shells of cephalopods.

Learn more about the museum at https://www.amnh.org/

$150000 Canadian Ammonite

From time to time I visit the web site of an Internet fossil dealer at indiana9fossils.com to look at the expensive and exotic fossils for sale.  Listed on April 8, 2011 were a group of ammonite fossils from the Bearpaw Formation of southern Alberta, Canada.  An approximate 28 inch diameter fossil is the Placenticeras meeki from the Cretaceous Period is one fossil in this group on display.  The specimen labeled "Canada Ammonite M3" sold for $150000!  As of this writing two other smaller specimens are for sale for $6000 and $25000.

See pictures of the fossils at this web page: http://www.indiana9fossils.com/Ammonites/Ammolite-Ammonites.htm

Wow, that is one expensive invertebrate fossil!

What makes the fossil so valuable is that it is composed of a organic gem like material ammolite. Ammolite is a biogenic gemstone like pearl and amber. The material comes from the ancient shells of cephalopods.  The creature swam in what was known as the Western Interior Seaway which stretched from today's Arctic Ocean, through western Canada and United States and down to the Gulf of Mexico.