How To Spot A Fake Fossil

[oilshale]

Hi Bernt,

First of all - take your time (I know, that's the most difficult part)!

Try to learn by looking. Visit fossil shows, museums, ask questions here in this forum - people here will try to help you.

You will be deceived - if you are buying fossils, you have to take the risk and accept this to a certain degree (especially if you buy at ebay - this can be really dangerous unless you know the dealer). Just don't buy anything too pricey.

There are a couple of very trustworthy dealers here in this forum (also from Morocco, China and other "risky" countries).

If I want to buy a fossil at a fossil show, I always carry a small UV lamp with me and a loupe. It is a LED type lamp for slightly over 15$ - this was really good invested money. "Restorations" and glued cracks will show up under UV light (well, not always, but chances are very good). Ask the dealer about restorations - a good one will tell you! Be suspicious if he tells you: "No restorations at all".

I am collecting fossils for over 40 years and I've been cheated from time to time. Not so often anymore, but it still happens.

Thomas

[TroyB]

Hi Bernt, Excellent post. Many people here are experts on modified fossils. Is this Bernt P. for the museum volunteer? This is T-roy for the survey.

TroyB.

[Atomic Rat]

Here is a tutorial on spotting fake trilobites:

http://www.fossilmuseum.net/collect/faketrilobites3.htm

I got a nice trilobite mortality plate for xmas. I do not inspect them too closely as they are gifts but I would give a critical analysis if I were to sell it. They will stay with my collection until I die then whoever gets it can inspect further. I make my notes and keep them in a folder for each of my fossil specimens. I appreciate the sentiment of gifts and just take what I get and keep my mouth shut. Sort of don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Smile and put it in the display case. I have enough of the real thing to compare to questionable objects. Now, stuff I buy on my dime for my own selfish ego, I get out the microscopes, jewelers loop, and magnifying glasses and give it a through physical. Don't be timid arguing with people over suspicious items or items you do not understand. Have your questions answered before making a purchase. And ask who previously owned the fossil. Look up what you don't know that way you will know as much as the dealer. Trilobites are my favorites and out of all of them I've ever purchased, I have had no noticeable forgeries, and I have only found one that is of questionable origin, and that was a gift from someone else. So I use it for a piece of art decor. Who knows, it may be actually real too! I will give it more scrutiny when I have more time to myself.

One way I keep track of my fossil collection is to take pictures and enter them into a genealogical program with former owner names and my name as current owner. Sounds funny but when you are through, you have a complete data base of your fossils, who they went to and prices. Keeps a good track of fossils and cuts down of the possibility of forgeries because ownership and condition of the fossil can be proven.

[Atomic Rat]

A dead give away in forgeries are air holes found anywhere on the fossil or matrix. They will look like pin holes. I won't buy a fossil full of pin holes.

Edit: The pin holes are signs the fossil was made by a mold. Manufactured.

Edited December 24, 2010 by Atomic Rat

[Raff]

There is this site http://www.snfossils.com/fake.htm about fake dinosaur eggs and trilobites, the text is both in Italian and Englis; this site instead is only in italian but there are many photos http://www.terranea.it/gsndarwin/attivita/paleontologia/falsi02.htm (at the end of the page "avanti" means forward, "dietro" back

[Kosmoceras]

Hello.

As a newbie, I have read a lot about all the fake fossils out there, especially offered on e-bay. However, e-bay is an excellent source for fossils for us that live in an area where the diversity of fossils in nature are scarce. I don’t want to bye the fossils in my dreams on e-bay just to find out that it is faked. My plan is to read all articles I can find on this topic, and hopefully I’ll learn so much that I can tell what is fake and what is real.

I’ve read some threads on this forum lately that indicates that I’m not the only one struggling with this. Therefore I have decided to try to make a “what you should look out for when you’re buying fossils ”-list. I think many collectors, especially beginners, will appreciate such a list, but I need your help. The first step is to make a summary of what kind of fossils that are faked most of the time. My impression is that you should be careful when you consider to by:

- all fossils from China

- trilobites from Morocco

- amber with inclusions (especially vertebrates)

- shrimps and lobsters that look just to perfect

- mammal bones that are dyed to look old

- ammonites that are carved out of lime stone (white color)

- mosasaur teeth with root on matrix

- mosasaur jaw on materix

However, I have yet to discover fake orthoceras, sliced and polished ammonites, silverdollars, clams and plants – probably that they are so common that it’s not worth to make a fake.

Can anyone help me to complete my list of what kind of fossils thate are commonly faked and which are “safer to buy”?

- Bernt -

I am also new to this site. I have made a PDF file for you to check out, it will help with mosasaur compound jaws. I hope this will help!

Greetings,

Thomas.

[Sinopaleus]

You left out any fossils with made in China on them.

[Texas-Tunnel Rat]

Now I have a question,

I dont want to be a negitive counter-thinker or bring bad press to myself or the forums but I am currently thinking of making a replica fossil NOT FOR SALE and I know that in musuems they do the whole casting thing.

But is there a website out there that gives directions and scaled mesurments of various specimens?

I kinda want to make a scaled down version of the Kansas musuem plate with the Xenpactinus. I know people make scaled versions of various skulls out of wood.

[oilshale]

And be sceptical if they claim "genuine"

Thomas

[malts]

The Basic Fake Trilobite from Morocco: A piece of rock is split in an effort to form a somewhat concave surface. Plaster and a mold are then used to form a trilobite which is later painted. Air bubble pockets may or may not be removed. And normally fine "chisel" lines, most often made by a nail are placed around the surrounding area to give it a semblance of authenticity. On this Dicranurus, almost all of the plaster has been removed to show the process.

My very well intentioned relatives purchased many "trilobites" for me while visiting Morocco years ago. This is one of them. Artwork like these are almost always (always?) found on eBay.

Edited May 9, 2012 by malts

[Down under fossil hunter]

I rarely get fooled anymore and when I do it is because I get "emotionally attached" to a rare specimen that I have wanted to own for a long long time and am somewhat blinded by its beauty and rarity.

After collecting for a while I find it increasingly difficult to add a rare specimen (with provenance) to my collection without encountering some concerns not so much about a fossil being faked but more around it being misidentified as something more valuable.

e.g. un-described raptor teeth being sold as Velociraptor, Madagascan Abelisaurids being put up as Megalosaurus, Elosuchus from Morocco sold as Sarcosuchus from Niger the list goes on and on.

In my early days I fell victim to the fake Mosasaur jaw and the severely enhanced prawn from Lebanon as well as a few areas of restoration that had gone unnoticed by the dealers who sold them to me as being completely genuine.

[Ferret46]

Hi

Just wondering if anyone can help - I bought my first trilobite today; I like it, but after reading all this, I'm now a little unsure as to what I've actually got?

[Ferret46]

Here is a photo of it - wpuld appreciate any comments, thanks

[Ferret46]

PS - ignore the receipt and other documents in the background - that was just papers where I put it when I photographed it!

[Fossildude19]

PS - ignore the receipt and other documents in the background - that was just papers where I put it when I photographed it!

Hello Ferret46, and welcome to the Forum.

You might get more views/responses if you start a new post in the general fossil discussion area.

Looks a bit sketchy to me, but, in all fairness, I am not an expert. Hope I'm wrong.

Others may have more insight about your acquisition.

Regards,

[NZ_Fossil_Collecta]

Cambropallas telesto is one of the most commonly enhanced or reconstructed trilobites from Morocco.

You're suspicion is confirmed unfortunately. These are very prolific as decorative fossils.

Google the genus and you will find many fine examples of unaltered and complete specimens.

I highlighted the most obvious areas 'added' to your trilobite.

my friend has one almost identical to the one in the picture.

[Missourian]

How to spot a fake fossil in two easy steps....

Step 1: Get a fake fossil:

Step 2: Spot it:

[NZ_Fossil_Collecta]

some of the amber fakes in ebay are so easy to spot that they practically shout: "HEY! LOOK! I'M A FAKE FOSSIL" (the amber inclusions from china spring to mind), but then there are some others not like that, that are harder to spot. shops can be just as bad, i learned that the hard way after buying some copal that was labelled as baltic amber. if you're browsing amber on ebay, try to avoid the ones with "perfect" inclusions- the insect is smack dab in the middle of the piece, very clear to see, practically no un-conformities in the amber, perfect shape, perfect price, from china... you get the picture. although, despite what i've said, there are a great number of honest and reputable dealers on ebay.

[Wrangellian]

some of the amber fakes in ebay are so easy to spot that they practically shout: "HEY! LOOK! I'M A FAKE FOSSIL" (the amber inclusions from china spring to mind), but then there are some others not like that, that are harder to spot. shops can be just as bad, i learned that the hard way after buying some copal that was labelled as baltic amber. if you're browsing amber on ebay, try to avoid the ones with "perfect" inclusions- the insect is smack dab in the middle of the piece, very clear to see, practically no un-conformities in the amber, perfect shape, perfect price, from china... you get the picture. although, despite what i've said, there are a great number of honest and reputable dealers on ebay.

Maybe if you wait a few million years those fake ones will turn into real ones! (or are they not made from actual insects and actual tree resin?)

[NZ_Fossil_Collecta]

Maybe if you wait a few million years those fake ones will turn into real ones! (or are they not made from actual insects and actual tree resin?)

three types that based on my info seem to be prolific:

1. Real insects artificially set in resin/plastic, quite a lot of these coming out of china.

2. Real insects that got in the resin naturally, but the resin is copal and is being passed off as amber.

3. Real insects that are set in glass, this is a dead giveaway because A) the insect is modern and still has colour, and in the case of a german wasp is readily recognisable, and B ) glass is heavy and cold whereas amber is light and warm. glass doesn't have unconformities usually either.

i don't think they use fake insects, not when they can grab the nearest modern one (which is often a giveaway) and stick it in whatever medium they're using.

Edited March 28, 2014 by NZ_Fossil_Collecta

[Wrangellian]

No I wouldn't think they would have to make fake insects, but how do they get one inside glass without burning it? Maybe there is another heavy glass-like plastic?

[Roanoker]

How to spot a fake fossil in two easy steps....

Step 1: Get a fake fossil:

7362-step-1.jpg

Step 2: Spot it:

7365-step-2.jpg

Well, I thought it was funny.

[NZ_Fossil_Collecta]

No I wouldn't think they would have to make fake insects, but how do they get one inside glass without burning it? Maybe there is another heavy glass-like plastic?

i don't know but they sure take extreme measures for something so dishonest.

[Wrangellian]

Maybe it's a very simple process! (easy money) but yes, certainly dishonest if they are not disclosed as fake/reproductions.

[NZ_Fossil_Collecta]

How to spot a fake fossil in two easy steps....

Step 1: Get a fake fossil:

7362-step-1.jpg

Step 2: Spot it:

7365-step-2.jpg

no, that is a perfectly legitimate fossil trilobite, i can certainly envision it on the Cambrian seabed. getting soggy and the pen ink running all over it.