Real Trilobite ???

[Guns]

Hi ! I recently acquire this Trilobite labelled  as " Hollardops sp." from Atlas Mountains .

Look ok to me But i am very new to trilobite fossil ....So I would love to hear your opinion on this fossil . Does it look real to you ?? Any restoration ??

 

Thank you in advance  !

Regard

Guns

 

[Kane]

Looks authentic to me. These are relatively common, so not usually worth the effort in faking. That being said, I do see considerable restoration on the glabella, most of the anterior cephalic area, and the left genal is entirely restored. 

[Fossildude19]

[Malcolmt]

As Kane said, thats a real Hollardops, not the best preparation by a long shot with some obvious restoration. They are fairy common to find for sale.

[Guns]

4 minutes ago, Kane said:

Looks authentic to me. These are relatively common, so not usually worth the effort in faking. That being said, I do see considerable restoration on the glabella, most of the anterior cephalic area, and the left genal is entirely restored. 

Hi kane ! Thank you so much for the help and photo you provide on area of restoration ! 

 

3 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Thank you for more view of the area of restoration ! 

[Guns]

On 4/19/2021 at 7:13 AM, Malcolmt said:

As Kane said, thats a real Hollardops, not the best preparation by a long shot with some obvious restoration. They are fairy common to find for sale.

Thank you so much for the help ! 

 

[aeon.rocks]

I'm guessing this is a molt, with genal restored.

 

On 4/19/2021 at 7:30 AM, Guns said:

Thank you so much for the help ! 

 

 

I'm guessing pricing is not allowed on this forum?  In any case, these bugs sell way to cheap, remember that also. Considering the level of work done, no matter the quality. And compared to non-Moroccan bugs... We all too often forget, that some matrix and preservation is **** to prep, especially in commerce, and a sticky Hollardops is one of those **** to prep bugs.  It takes easily over 20h or 30h to prep for a good one.  Another thing to remember: You get what you pay for!

[Guns]

3 hours ago, aeon.rocks said:

I'm guessing this is a molt, with genal restored.

 

 

I'm guessing pricing is not allowed on this forum?  In any case, these bugs sell way to cheap, remember that also.  Considering the level of work done, no matter the quality. And compared to non-Moroccan bugs... We all too often forget, that some matrix and preservation is **** to prep, especially in commerce, and a sticky Hollardops is one of those **** to prep bugs.  It takes easily over 20h or 30h to prep for a good one.  Another thing to remember: You get what you pay for!

Thank you for the information ! i am super new to Trilobite fossil 

 

Regard

Guns

[JohnJ]

3 hours ago, aeon.rocks said:

I'm guessing pricing is not allowed on this forum?

 

Members please keep in mind that posting pricing is not allowed.  Posts edited accordingly.

[hadrosauridae]

4 hours ago, aeon.rocks said:

...... Considering the level of work done, no matter the quality. And compared to non-Moroccan bugs... We all too often forget, that some matrix and preservation is **** to prep, especially in commerce, and a sticky Hollardops is one of those **** to prep bugs.  It takes easily over 20h or 30h to prep for a good one.  Another thing to remember: You get what you pay for!

Something most lay-person fossil buyers dont understand is that prep is the main valuation of fossils. Rarity just adds a premium.  Theres no way someone is putting 40 hours of work into a prep and then selling it for a small amount.  

[aeon.rocks]

23 hours ago, hadrosauridae said:

Something most lay-person fossil buyers dont understand is that prep is the main valuation of fossils. Rarity just adds a premium.  Theres no way someone is putting 40 hours of work into a prep and then selling it for a small amount.  

 

Moroccan bugs do sell for a small amount. There are many species that take 30 or 40 hours of work and sell reasonably cheap, for a bargain compared to bugs like Remopleurides, Boedaspis, Dicranurus elegans, Huntonia, Isotelus, Eldredgeops, Olenoides... When you start prepping various fossils, different trilobites and then work on Moroccan bugs, you realize how cheap these sell, considering all...

 

And another thing, already mentioned - although we often "complain about prep quality", it has to be noted that we should keep in mind also, that some fossils/bugs can vary in "prep-difficulty" and preservation (the same species, same locality, I mean). Best looking fossils/bugs often prep easily. Not always, but... Sometimes the preservation and matrix is impossible to prep nice, especially if trying to prep fast. Hollardops are often sticky, in hard matrix that breaks like glass. No good way to scribe it fast, and no good way to blast it. And yet, Moroccan preparators manage to prep these fast and cheap. There are easily around 10 hours of fast prep in the specimen shown here; maybe between 5 and 10 hours, depends on the break, but considering it probably sold cheap and that it changed at least 3 hands before getting to USA/EU, preparator for sure sold it for a small amount. In that same time (of prepping a Hollardops, fast), one could prep 20 or 30 Eldredgeops or at least 2 Huntonia.

Edited April 21, 2021 by aeon.rocks