Fake Cretaceous Insect Fossils from China are now on sale at a show near you

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

Just now, jpc said:

I took a class once on printing copies of fossils found as carbon impressions on shale, such as insects.  It is pretty easy and with some practice one can easily make beautiful copies of fossil insects that would need a loupe to ID as prints.  

 

I presume you'd need a special type of printer for this, though, as most home appliances would require the material printed on to curve around a roll so as to be able to make printers of smaller size...

[jpc]

1 minute ago, pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon said:

 

I presume you'd need a special type of printer for this, though, as most home appliances would require the material printed on to curve around a roll so as to be able to make printers of smaller size...

Nope.  Regular camera and printer... really easy.  I have the instructions... somewhere.  The folks at Florrisant Fossil Beds use this technique to make copies of thier fossils.  

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

Just now, jpc said:

Nope.  Regular camera and printer... really easy.  I have the instructions... somewhere.  The folks at Florrisant Fossil Beds use this technique to make copies of thier fossils.  

 

So I presume it's some kind of inkjet ink-transfer technique then? I can't really imagine doing this with my laser-jet printer at home, for example. But ink-transfer from a wet, just printed page, I might

[JohnJ]

'Duck duck' search "printing on stone".  I could easily see some techniques that might be adapted.

[steelhead9]

On 9/16/2021 at 10:49 PM, Biotalker said:

I took one more picture of an insect fake at the recent Fossil Show. It was highly priced and it took me a while to realize it. It's a printed dragonfly.

I heard you were at the NJ show giving this info to dealers. Awesome catch on your part! The recent flood of perfect insects onto the market from China has been, at best, suspect. Not any more. Have you examined the flat bird fossils with feather impressions? Are you simply using a loupe and a blacklight? PM me if you have more detailed info to share.

[Biotalker]

Got a good belly laugh today looking at lycoptera fossils available online. To fake such an abundant and inexpensive fish is sillier than usual, and they are obvious. 

In pictures below, the first two are legit for comparison, the third painted and the forth and fifth highly augmented.

also see: 

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2021 by Biotalker

[Mousehead]

Hah!  That third one... at least put some effort into it, or get your kid to do a better job.

[RJB]

    I use to carry a loup with me everywhere I went.  But being a fossil dealer years ago I found that once in awhile some folks with loups just could not tell a fake, or fake parts, from the real thing.  I use to sell 'Sinohydrosaurs',  called something different nowadays.  Most of those had area's painted bones but the better ones had only a few bones painted in and it was easy to tell the difference.  One time a guy was louping them in front of me while selling fossils at a show and he tried to tell me that everything I had was 100% fake.  I wasnt used to some peeps being so ignorant and argued with him about what parts where painted in and what parts were real and even tried to point out the exact bones that were fake.  He simply had his mind make up and no way was it going to change.  Better him than me is all I can say but I sure dont miss my dealer days anymore. 

 

RB

[Biotalker]

I just stopped by the 2023 NJ Gem & Fossil Show and the fakes are still around. These counterfeits in association with lycoptera fish were going for 4 figures! See how easily you would detect them.

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

7 hours ago, Biotalker said:

I just stopped by the 2023 NJ Gem & Fossil Show and the fakes are still around. These counterfeits in association with lycoptera fish were going for 4 figures! See how easily you would detect them.

 

I must say the second is much easier to detect by how perfectly it lies across the crack in the rock and colour and style of preservation differ from the fish right next to it. The first also is an obvious fake, but I'd say much harder to detect as more attention was paid to colouring and creating the illusion of imperfection...

 

Thanks for keeping us updated!

Edited May 24, 2023 by pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon

[rocket]

great artist work...

As I am writing a paper about "fake fossils" (hope to finish in 24... :-)) this paintings will have their own chapter

short one, but one 

[marguy]

the 2nd has such a (almost) perfect body and wings that it is surprising to see only 2 legs!!!

[Pemphix]

Well, painting as technique of "restoration" is not a new technique at all, it is known since a lot of years. On my opinion it is one of the "restos" which can be detected a little bit easier than others. 

What's really new, it's printing the stuff - i was really surprised, saw this the first time....

Thanks for posting !