EDESTUS 'stain' question

[rkfrace]

 

Hello.  I recently acquired a fairly high-quality Edestus specimen (9 inches long; with two 'complete' teeth and two partial teeth).   Location:  Lively Grove, Illinois. 

 

However, when it arrived I immediately noticed an artificially added dark-purple colored type of "stain" material that is covering significant parts of several teeth.  (Please see attached photos). 

 

I know that it's common to glue the entirety of Edestus fossils owing to the materials' fragility, but I've never encountered an additional 'stain' like this.  Notably, the enamel looks a bit 'restored' in the areas where the stain is most evident (as the surface clearly changes both color and texture in those areas, particularly near the serrations), but it appears to have dripped down onto otherwise well-preserved sections of the base of several teeth, and/or been added to serration edges that are, I think, authentic..

 

Can anybody help me to better understand what I'm dealing with here?  

Any insights are deeply appreciated,

 

Ryan

 

 

[Brett Breakin' Rocks]

2 hours ago, rkfrace said:

Can anybody help me to better understand what I'm dealing with here?  

I mean, I think your first instincts are correct. Consolidant doesn't have a tint to it. I would assume the teeth are a bit rough around the edges and the serrations look broken and chipped in the images. That damage may have stood out from the original fossil (a visual contrast).. drawing the eye to the rough/damaged bits. Maybe someone before the seller (or the seller) had it visually 'repaired' to make it more appealing. 

 

Cheers,

Brett 

 

PS. I wouldn't want to treat it with anything but I'm assuming the tinting could be removed if need be ... 

Edited September 11, 2022 by Brett Breakin' Rocks

[Mark Kmiecik]

You could rub or dab it gently with a white cotton cloth dipped in acetone or toluene in the areas that appear dyed. If it is dye and not natural color it should show up on the white cloth. Obviously, dab an inconspicuous spot. A cotton swab (q-tip) should work as well.

[rkfrace]

Thanks Brett and Mark for your kind and helpful replies.  I was ultimately able to get in touch with the original prepper (a respected person in the fossil community); he said that he applied a black marker to parts of the teeth (to areas where the matrix removal would have proved too damaging, I think?).  However, he said it never looks the way that the specimen currently looks (i.e., purple), so he suspects somebody along the way may have tried to remove it.  So, still a bit of a mystery, but no longer a big one.  

 

Thanks again all!

[Mark Kmiecik]

4 hours ago, rkfrace said:

Thanks Brett and Mark for your kind and helpful replies.  I was ultimately able to get in touch with the original prepper (a respected person in the fossil community); he said that he applied a black marker to parts of the teeth (to areas where the matrix removal would have proved too damaging, I think?).  However, he said it never looks the way that the specimen currently looks (i.e., purple), so he suspects somebody along the way may have tried to remove it.  So, still a bit of a mystery, but no longer a big one.  

 

Thanks again all!

Black marker fades with time and exposure to light. Guess which color it fades to. Yup, you got it!

[carch_23]

Not in any way a fossil prepper but my first instinct when I saw the purplish hue was a black marker. Where sometimes on certain angles a black marker can give off that colour. But at least it is no longer a mystery. Gorgeous piece overall!