Ammolite mined from deeper deposits may be entirely smooth or with a rippled surface.

Occasionally a complete ammonite shell is recovered with its structure well-preserved: fine, convoluted lines delineate the shell chambers, and the overall shape is suggestive of a nautilus, which is a different cephalopod type, species of which have survived to the present day. While these shells may be as large as 90 cm (35.5 inches) in diameter, the iridescent ammonites (as opposed to the pyritized variety)