hollywatertower Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 I'm sure this is a fake; I just want some verification before I saw it in half. As some of you know, I just bought a large collection of fossils and am trying to learn as much as possible. From my reading, I'm 99.9% sure this is a fake. I want to saw it in half to better understand how they are created. You can actually see where the trilobite is sunken down a bit. Looks like the real matrix was hollowed out and the fake trilobite was set inside. I appreciate any and all opinions! Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squali Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 I don't know anything about this trilobite but the matrix being hatched the way it is shows a poor attempt at trying to depict a prepared specimen. It's hard to remember why you drained the swamp when your surrounded by alligators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newdog65 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 I'm about 99.99% sure its a fake - saw tables full of them at tucson Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollywatertower Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 Thanks! I'm gonna take a ban saw to it tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLB Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 (edited) I'll add it to my fakes u can send it to me Edited February 9, 2014 by DLB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Definitely looks fake If you have access to a stereo microscope look at it under the highest magnification and see if you can see any bubbles in the matrix or the fossil. One test is put some acetone on a cotton swab and see if you can rub any of the black off. You can also heat up a sewing needle with a lighter and see if the fossil melts when you touch it to the needle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Or you could take it to the local hospital and ask them nicely if they would like to CT scan it. I have never scanned a trilobite like this, but I imagine the trilobite might appear differently than the rock if it is real. CT people often love to scan things that are not sick or traumatized humans and are likely to do it for free if they can fir you in. Look for the criitter's shell under the curly spines standing out against the rock. If you saw it i half and it is real, there is a chance you will be sad.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosmoceras Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Looks very much like a fake to me. Try some UV on it, you might see some fancy colouring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taogan Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Try different coloured lights not just UV, any variation will show and you will see if any is original. If it is uniform under all lights then it is 100% original (unlikely) or 100% fake. The careless cross hatching on the matrix makes me think a lot will be fake, but you might be lucky and have an original cephalon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I was told by one of the vendors in Tucson that those trios are real but incomplete and have been frankensteined with parts from others to make a complete one. Take it with a grain of salt, but they don't appear real to me either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I was going to say more or less what Caldigger said - It might not be totally fake, but Frankensteined with other parts or the missing bits were just carved in (I see that a lot). In any case it's a poor prep job. I'll be interested to see what results you get with the recommended tests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosmoceras Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Any news on this specimen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 They have hundreds of these in Tucson at almost every booth that has the Moroccan trilobites. All seem to be perfectly in the middle of the plate and look alike (same size and prepping where the trilo is dipped down in the host rock). Not sure how they all seem to be the same, but I thought it best to steer clear of them. Heck, even the vendor that was selling them told me "you don't want one of those". I do have a question though...some of ya'll talk about using a UV light to distinguish repairs, is that long or short wave? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollywatertower Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) black light which is long wave. I've used it on art and antiquities for years. Now I've been using it on fossils with great success. I posted some Russian trilobites that I black lighted. I'm sure this fossil is bogus too. You can see where it's sunken into the center of the matrix. It's like they hollowed out a piece of matrix and then dropped in a resin cast. I haven't had time to run any of the other tests yet. I'll do it tomorrow! Edited February 12, 2014 by hollywatertower Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 To me, this one is clearly not a composite of real parts, but a 100% fake. Would not mind to us a diamond blade on this one. In fact, I have a very similar one (say, almost identical!) at home that awaits that very fate. I'll see whether I can get to it. I will post the results here. Everything in the name of science and education, obviously. Paleo database, information and community Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollywatertower Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) I just saw a fossil that could be the twin of this one that sold on eBay (as a cast). I mean - it looks like an exact copy! I did black light this one - and there was absolutely no fluorescence! Working on the rest of the tests today! Edited February 12, 2014 by hollywatertower Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Rick Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I do a little resin casting & I would guess the way this is faked, is first, by having a stencil / pattern of the fake Trilo & etching it on top of the rock, & then gluing them together. If the Trilo is resin, it would be an easy mold to make; as said by others; a heated pin would go through it like butter ..... a hair dryer, or heat gun would distort the thing for sure....... come to think of it ..... are you sure "The Rock" is Rock; and not resin also ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Rick Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I was thinking about the fact that you bought a large collection, have you had the rest of it checked out ? .... I hope it's not more of the same thing; that would be very large bummer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiggieCie Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Just display it as a replica of the real thing, it is very nice. Here is a link to a site that has very good info on the faking of the Moroccan Trilobites. http://www.fossilmuseum.net/collect/faketrilobites3.htm 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Rick Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Just display it as a replica of the real thing, it is very nice. Here is a link to a site that has very good info on the faking of the Moroccan Trilobites. http://www.fossilmuseum.net/collect/faketrilobites3.htm Great link, I agree this a "display piece" , not something I would want in any way , but for the right person I suppose it may be desirable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiggieCie Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I agree. The fossils that I collect are very important to me, everything else would be like the plastic toys we had as children, just a better representation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Great eye opening article ZiggieCie. It will certainly help those with doubts. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordTrilobite Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Definitely fake. Under the scratches you can see the "glue" material separating the trilobite "matrix" and the outside rock matrix. The colour of the matrix near the trilobite is inconsistant with the matrix on the outside rock. The trilobite is also lacking detail. Without a doubt a fake with real rock around it. Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollywatertower Posted February 15, 2014 Author Share Posted February 15, 2014 Yes, I've checked all others out. This is the only one I think is a total fake. There are a couple of pieces where the trilobites are added to a matrix. But other than those, It was a great buy. The best was the Russian plate I got with the 4 Asaphus Punctatus with the added cystoid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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