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Hi everyone, I’m a total amateur but love looking for fossils and have a keen eye (, I’ve done a lot of collecting and have been laughed at by my friends and family for what I believe are some amazing finds! hopefully I can get some validation or advice on what I have found and a lot of tips on prep work etc. I am prepared for criticism so please don’t hold back and just hope these aren’t all plain old rocks!! first topic and a big one! can anyone explain to me in layman’s terms why some fossils seem to be bonded/formed around iron rich metallic objects (nails, bolts, screws) or if I’m totally wrong about that? here are some pics of the fossils with the above mentioned characteristics and my conclusions on identity. Thanks in advance Turtle remains/ vertebrae? A piece of dorsal vertebrae?

Article on pyritized trilobites of Beecher's beds. Worth looking at the pictures even if you don't read the article. The best picture is of a non-trilobite arthropod. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/pyrite-trilobites-upstate-new-york

Anyone with knowledge of Northern NY Ordovician trilobites within 2-3 hour radius of Lowville, NY, I would appreciate any advice on sites to search. Please PM any replies, which will be kept confidential. Interested in soft tissue pyritization. Will share success stories with anyone with specific suggestions. Thanks!

Ammonites from Madagascar are readily available in rock stores around the world. Dating from the Mesozoic, these ammonites represent an extremely affordable example of prehistoric sealife. In Cretaceous deposits, the iridescent nacre is preserved, encasing interior structures replaced with a variety of minerals. Yet, pyritization (replacement with Iron Sulfide, formula unit FeS2) is uncommon. However, I recently received some pyritized examples from the site - the first I've seen in person. Attached are pictures of some of these interestingly preserved ammonites, including a comparison with Peruvian pyrite (I have a small collection of pyrite from around the world). Polished Example: Sliced Example: Peruvian Comparison:

I have a bunch of petrified/coalified wood from Mazon Creek and have started a process to decrease the reactivity of the pyrite and sulphur in them. Thought I'd describe the process and results in case it is helpful to anyone else. Some of them are fairly quick to form decay and even create lovely hairy crystal gardens of possibly Pickeringite or Halotrichite. Here is an earlier post about that. Here's some images of the cool crystal hairs that formed awhile back. Anyway here's my process that I've started on a few items. Not at all sure if this is the best process but thought I'd try it as an experiment and see what happens. It is an adaptation of recommendations by Reiner Mielke. Any suggestions or critiques would be great. I'm currently at Step 4 with the first batch and debating about Step 5. Step 1: Neutralize in water with some baking soda. (I notice my pieces really fiz a lot and some of the material breaks a part in this reaction so one may need to be careful with fragile items.) Step 2: Dry in the oven at low temperature for several hours. Step 3: Immerse in WD-40 to displace all the water. Step 4: Let dry Step 5: Two options and I haven't decided between the two: One option is to immerse in motor oil. (This is the Mielke approach) The other option is to spray with Fluid Film (a lanolin product in a spray bottle to prevent rust) Then let dry.