What ammonites were
Ammonoids, usually just called ammonites, were sea animals with coiled, chambered shells. The earliest appeared in the Early Devonian about 409 million years ago, and the last vanished during or soon after the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction 66 million years ago, the event that ended the non-avian dinosaurs.
Their shells look like a nautilus, but ammonites are more closely related to living octopuses, squid and cuttlefish. The wavy lines visible on a polished ammonite, called sutures, are where the walls between chambers met the outer shell; their patterns help identify the group.
Ammonites from Morocco
Morocco is a major source of affordable ammonoid fossils, sold whole, as cut and polished halves showing the chambers, and in decorative plates. On 28 October 2026, 20 of the 184 ammonites listed by FossilEra came from Morocco, against 95 from Madagascar, the other big supplier of polished ammonites.
What an ammonite costs: price data from October 2026
Asking prices read on 28 October 2026.
| Source | Listings | Price |
|---|---|---|
| FossilEra, all ammonites | 184 | $3 to $19,500 |
| eBay, Moroccan ammonites, fixed price | 151 | Median $30, middle half $21 to $42 |
| eBay, highest listing | $4,000 |
How to judge an ammonite, and what to watch for
Value comes from completeness, size, clear suture patterns, and for polished pieces the quality of the crystal-filled chambers.
- Polishing and cutting are normal and not a fault, but the piece should be described as polished.
- Restoration with filler is common on the outer whorl; ask whether any part is reconstructed.
- Carved 'ammonites' cut from plain rock exist. A real ammonite shows sutures and a shell texture consistent all the way round.
- Cheap identical pieces in bulk are usually real but of common species; rarity and size drive the high prices.
Care
Ammonite fossils are stone: dust them, avoid acids, and protect polished faces from scratches. Pieces with iridescent shell or pyrite need dry storage.
Questions collectors ask
Are ammonites extinct?
Yes. The last ammonoids died out during or soon after the extinction 66 million years ago that also ended the non-avian dinosaurs.
Is an ammonite related to the nautilus?
It looks like one, but ammonites are more closely related to octopuses, squid and cuttlefish.
How much is an ammonite worth?
Most Moroccan ammonites are affordable: fixed-price eBay listings had a median asking price of $30 on 28 October 2026. Large or rare specimens elsewhere reach thousands.