SEVENTY-ONE MILLION YEARS of tectonic pressure, heat and mineralization can do amazing things: like transform a rather plain mollusk of the Paleozoic era into a stunning gem material. While the Blackfoot people have known about my spectacular iridescence for hundreds of years, it wasn’t until 1908 that I was first described by a National Geographic survey, and not until 1962 when local lapidaries in Calgary first started fashioning gem quality specimens out of me. Since then, I’ve gained a fringe popularity, particularly in Asia, although due to my delicacy, I’m best reserved for use in pendants, earrings and brooches.
Who am I?