INTERIOR DECORATION AND JEWELERY QUALITY AMMONITES IN THE NIZHNY NOVGOROD REGION: GEMOLOGY AND PRODUCTION PROSPECTS

Interior decoration and jewelery quality ammonites from Madagascar, Morocco, Canada and Russia are widely represented on the world market. In the Russian Federation, commercial quality ammonites are known to occur in some regions, including the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Ammonites of the Nizhny Novgorod Region are connected with the Bathonian and Callovian deposits of the Middle Jurassic and were collected in significant amount during open pit mining of haydite clay. Ammonites consist mainly of calcite, up to 94 % by mass. Aragonite, goethite, quartz, oxides of Mn and Fe, and aluminosilicates are also present. Apatite, Fe and Zn sulfates, pyrite, sphalerite, hematite, organic matter are found, too. The walls and septums of ammonites preserve the original aragonite composition. Partially aragonite is destroyed and replaced by calcite, apatite, oxides of Mn and Fe. Calcite of ammonite chambers varies in color, transparency and crystal size. The transparency of calcite is determined by the size, structural features and number of inclusions. The color of calcite depends on the number of microinclusions and the Fe and Mn content. Ammonites of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, according to their decorative and process characteristics, are of commercial interest mainly as samples for collecting or interior design, and, meagerly, for jewelry manufacturing.

For citation: Petrochenkov D. A. Interior decoration and jewelery quality ammonites in the Nizhny Novgorod region: gemology and production prospects. Gornyy informatsionno-analiticheskiy byulleten'. 2019;3:151-165. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236-1493-2019-03-0-151-165.

Keywords

Ammonite, collection samples, jewelry quality raw materials, Middle Jurassic sediments, Nizhny Novgorod Region.

Issue number: 3
Year: 2019
ISBN: 0236-1493
UDK: 549:553.5 (470.341)
DOI: 10.25018/0236-1493-2019-03-0-151-165
Authors: Petrochenkov D. A.

About authors: D.A. Petrochenkov, Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, Assistant Professor, Russian State Geological Prospecting University named after Sergo Ordzhonikidzе (MGRI-RSGPU), 117997, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: p-d-a@mail.ru.

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