Commercial extraction is mechanized but fairly basic: shallow open pits are dug with a backhoe and the excavated material is screened for its potential gem contents.
The pits are further examined by hand, and commercial production is supplemented by individuals who sell their surface-picked findings to Korite and several other producers.
Approximately 50% of the ammolite mined is suitable for jewelry.
Korite, the largest miner of ammolite, produces over 90% of the world's supply.

The ammolite deposits are stratified into several layers: the shallowest of these layers, named the "K Zone", lies some 15 meters below the surface and extends 30 meters down.
The ammolite within this layer is covered by siderite concretions and is usually cracked—this is the crush material.
It is the most common and (generally speaking) the least valuable of ammolite.
Beginning twenty meters below the crush material is the "Blue Zone"; ammolite from this zone, which extends 65 meters, is usually compressed with a thin layer of pyrite rather than siderite concretions.
This is the sheet material; due to its depth it is rarely mined.
It is also much less fractured, and therefore the more valuable type of ammolite.

As of 2015, Korite has mined over 100 acres of ammolite deposits.
The company employs over 280 people and accounts for approximately 90 percent of world gem ammolite production.
Prospectors who wish to mine ammolite deposits on Crown land must apply to the Alberta Department of Energy for a lease.
These leases are not regularly offered; as of 2004, there was a CAD $625 application fee, with an annual rental fee of CAD $3.50 per hectare.
Commercial extraction is mechanized but fairly basic: shallow open pits are dug with a backhoe and the excavated material is screened for its potential gem contents. The pits are further examined by hand, and commercial production is supplemented by individuals who sell their surface-picked findings to Korite and several other producers. Approximately 50% of the ammolite mined is suitable for jewelry. Korite, the largest miner of ammolite, produces over 90% of the world's supply.
The ammolite deposits are stratified into several layers: the shallowest of these layers, named the "K Zone", lies some 15 meters below the surface and extends 30 meters down. The ammolite within this layer is covered by siderite concretions and is usually cracked—this is the crush material. It is the most common and (generally speaking) the least valuable of ammolite. Beginning twenty meters below the crush material is the "Blue Zone"; ammolite from this zone, which extends 65 meters, is usually compressed with a thin layer of pyrite rather than siderite concretions. This is the sheet material; due to its depth it is rarely mined. It is also much less fractured, and therefore the more valuable type of ammolite.
As of 2015, Korite has mined over 100 acres of ammolite deposits. The company employs over 280 people and accounts for approximately 90 percent of world gem ammolite production. Prospectors who wish to mine ammolite deposits on Crown land must apply to the Alberta Department of Energy for a lease. These leases are not regularly offered; as of 2004, there was a CAD $625 application fee, with an annual rental fee of CAD $3.50 per hectare.
Ammolite