Natural - Doublet - Triplet - Mosaic - Faceted

Natural - as found in nature, more or less
Doublet - 2 pieces, put together by man
Triplet - 3 pieces, put together by man
Mosaic - a pattern created by man
Faceted - the cap - not the ammolite

Natural
Natural refers to a gem that has been left on its original host material and has not had any protective cap added. It may or may not be stabilized. The shale or other host material is ground down to a flat, thin backing and the ammolite is also usually ground and polished, normally to a smooth, flat surface. On rare occasions, the ammolite gem material is thick enough that the backing is completely ground away and a two-sided gem is created. Naturals are best used in jewelry that takes less of a beating, such as pendants, pins, and earrings, as well as bracelets worn only on special occasions.

Some people may argue that stabilized ammolite is an enhanced gemstone, rather than a natural gemstone. The stabilization process is done simply to prevent the ammolite from flaking/cleaving/splitting/de-laminating, like a mica. It does not alter the color, the light play, or any important aspect of the gemstone other than its stability, creating a lasting gemstone.

Doublet
Basically, doublet means 2 pieces have been bonded together to make one stone.

If the doublet has a protective cap, it is on its original matrix (ie, a capped natural). The addition of the cap helps to increase the hardness of the stone, allowing it to be used as a ring.

If the doublet does not have a cap, the gem material has been bonded to a new matrix for some reason. Unless there was a problem with the original matrix, I personally don’t understand the purpose in this - it introduces a bonded layer that doesn’t need to be there - unless they can somehow use thinner slices of the gem and make several stones from what would have been one natural.

Most of the doublets on my site are quartz-capped naturals, but I try to say specifically for each stone in the description. Protective caps are normally synthetic spinel (usually just referred to as spinel) or quartz. Some lapidaries will cap ammolite with other translucent gems, such as opal, to produce unusual effects. Protective caps increase the hardness rating of the stone and make it acceptable for use in rings and bracelets, as well as pendants, pins, and earrings. You do want to take care to protect the ammolite from sharp blows that can dislodge or break the seal of the protective cap.

Triplet
When making a triplet, a very thin layer of ammolite is attached to a backing - usually shale - which creates a doublet. A protective cap is then added. This results in 3 pieces bonded together to make one stone. Like capped naturals, triplets can be used for rings and bracelets, as well as pendants, pins, and earrings. Again, they should be protected from sharp blows.

On rare occasions, a thin layer of ammolite is made into a triplet by having a protective cap added to both sides of the ammolite. This creates a two-sided triplet with gem showing on both sides.

Different cutters give different reasons for removing ammolite from its natural matrix and reattaching it to a new backing. In some cases, there is a problem with the original backing, such as a crack. By taking very thin slices from a thick piece of ammolite, many triplets can be created from it, making a very rare gem go further. Yet another reason is to create a mosaic triplet. I believe that when Korite creates triplets, they coat the new matrix with lampblack first, to intensify the colors of the ammolite. Coating the new matrix before adhering the ammolite to it is the only color-enhancing treatment I am aware of with ammolite.

Mosaic
In general, a mosaic is a decorative design created by attaching small pieces onto a surface. To create ammolite mosaics, very thin slices of ammolite are pieced together or artfully arranged on a new backing, to create a more desirable pattern or color arrangement than was originally found in nature. Mosaics may be created strictly for an artistic purpose or as a way to use high quality pieces that are too small for any other use. All of the mosaics I have seen have had a protective cap added on top of the ammolite.

Faceted
Faceted ammolite refers to doublets or triplets with faceted protective caps. I can’t imagine wanting to put a faceted cap on a good quality stone, but the facets would probably enhance the color of a lesser quality stone.

Triplets often have wonderfully bright, mirror-like appearances. I’m drawn to the depth of character found in naturals and capped naturals however, and that is mostly what you will find in my jewelry. A side benefit of naturals and capped naturals being left on their original host backing is that the backing is usually much thicker and sturdier than the thin backing that is prepared for un-capped doublets and triplets. While traditional jewelry methods may have trouble with these deep stones, wire art jewelry can accommodate the depth of the stone without issue.

If everything else is equal between the stones, naturals are probably more valuable than capped naturals, which are more valuable than doublets where the ammolite has been put on a new backing, which are more valuable than triplets, which are more valuable than mosaics. However, things are rarely equal between the gem quality and pretty triplets will normally be worth more than ugly naturals. See Grading and Valuing Ammolite for more information.

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