Iridescent Ammonite Fossil

Photo: Christie's

If you have $60K burning a hole in your pocket, you may want to mark your calendar: Christie's is auctioning this stunning 100-million-year-old iridescent ammonite fossils excavated from the Bearpaw Formation, in southern Alberta, Canada:

[Pierre Pare, president of Calgary-based Korite International Ltd, Canada's main producer of ammonite fossils] says demand for the fossils -- formed from the remains of a primitive mollusk that died out at the end of the dinosaur age 65 million years ago -- is also being driven globally by practitioners of the Chinese esthetics system feng shui, who covet the Alberta ammonite's bright colours and spiral shape.

While ammonites can be found in many countries, the conditions creating the dazzling hues of the Canadian fossils "existed only in one place in the world -- right here in southern Alberta," says Mr. Pare.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1423002 - via Geekdad