🐚 My Ammolite Story 🐚

A Fisherman’s Discovery

I am a dedicated fly fisherman—actually, dedicated to all sorts of fishing. Oddly it was fly fishing that brought me to my second passion—Ammolite!

Many years ago I was knee deep in the St Mary river in South Alberta near Lethbridge casting to wary rainbow trout. I noticed a vivid flash of colour among pebbles at my feet. I thought it might be a lost lure so I reached down and picked it up and it turned out to be a brilliant green and red pebble.

Fascinated I took this pebble to another fisherman of my acquaintance and he told me it was a piece of ammonite not yet fashioned into gem ammolite.

I did not know it at the time that I was standing in my waders, rod in hand, in the very centre of the only place in the world where gem quality ammolite is found.

Building a Collection

I started collecting pieces from local artisans and enjoyed their beauty—and also enjoying contact with the very best players in the world of ammolite—and then an idea began to form.

How about making my own pieces of jewelry using this magnificent gem and marketing it online.

From eBay to Here

First I started at eBay back in 2010 and was very successful there for a few years but eventually became disillusioned by all the fake glass ammolite being marketed as genuine. It became commonplace and eBay showed no interest in curbing these charlatans that were mostly based in India. Soon, on a page of 50 items at least 25 were fakes—and if you look today it’s worse.

So I moved over to Etsy where there were, at the time, no fake ammolite being sold. Then Etsy went the same route as eBay, freely allowing the marketing of fake glass ammolite along with fake certificates from non-existent gemologists. In spite of many complaints to Etsy—nothing is being done and the scammers increase and prosper.

I still maintain my site there as my positive feedback from customers there over many years is valuable.