starksight Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 (edited) I started off rinsing with water until I realized it was causing all the fine detail to disintegrate away (I saw little suction cups on the tentacles!). I think it'a pyrite disease? Is it? I dunked it in a bowl of vinegar and it it still there now, hoping to stop the water damage and it seems to have halted the rapid deterioration, but now I'm concerned about the acid causing damage. What should I do next? I read online that a phosphate treatment may replace the escaping sulfur and stop the oxidation and that a recommended field treatment would be common fertilizer. How the heck would I apply fertilizer to a fossil? I do have some chemicals in the house for art in furniture restoration, but definitely not pure phosphate. Again, this is foreign territory. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you all! Location: Annandale, Virginia within the Virginia Gold-Pyrite Belt. My neighborhood is in the Cambrian period, but there was a geographic displacement from the Blue Ridge Mountains into Northern VA, not sure how/if that figures into the scenario. Edited November 11, 2021 by starksight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 I have some mixed news. On the one hand, there is little to worry about here with respect to pyrite disease since (and this leads me to "on the other hand") this does not seem to be an ammonite fossil. Judging by the images, it is a sedimentary rock with banding and mineral staining. Keep in mind as well that soft parts of ammonites, ammonoids, and nautiloids do not preserve, only the shell. Topic moved from "Forum Help & Suggestions." 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted November 11, 2021 Share Posted November 11, 2021 Ummmm.... Methinks we're dealing with a rock here and not a fossil. Definitely not an ammonite anyway if as stated the stratigraphy lies in the Cambrian. 1 Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starksight Posted November 12, 2021 Author Share Posted November 12, 2021 It is not a rock. Any helpful guidance from other folks on here regarding preventing deterioration? It's soft like chalk. Is there a way to strengthen/reinforce the mineral? I have read about PVA diluted in acetone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted November 12, 2021 Share Posted November 12, 2021 @starksight, when you post images for reference, it really causes less confusion when you are clear which are yours and which are someone else's. The rock you first posted is not an ammonite of any kind. I also don't see any pyrite that you need to worry about. What you thought might be "tentacles" could be bryozoans. Others with local knowledge might have some insight. 1 The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted November 12, 2021 Share Posted November 12, 2021 1 hour ago, starksight said: It is not a rock. Sorry, but I find that hard to believe. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted November 12, 2021 Share Posted November 12, 2021 I have to agree - I see no recognizable fossils in this rock. There may be some type of invertebrate fossil there, but I cannot make out anything I recognize. Definitely not an ammonite nor any soft body preservation. Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilhunter21 Posted November 12, 2021 Share Posted November 12, 2021 (edited) I am sorry to say this, but I agree that this does not look like a fossil. Edited November 12, 2021 by fossilhunter21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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