Determining fake ammolite ammonites?

[VTinNorthAB]

Hi, I was wondering if it was possible to fake the appearance of ammolite on a full ammonite fossil?  There are a few that have caught my eye but I want to make sure they are genuine before considering them. 

 

I will post a few pics if anyone is willing to help or provide advice for purchasing 

 

All the best

Edited September 3, 2016 by MythrilDelight
Fixing images lol

[-Andy-]

They look real enough. No red flags.

 

Repairs and touch-ups are expected, but common practice for ammolite.

[aeon.rocks]

Looks good, but these are never found as perfectly preserved as they look displayed. Ammolite mined from deeper deposits come close with entirely smooth or rippled surface, without frost shattering or bleaching. But as mentioned expect some cracked pieces glued back together, cracks and missing pieces filled and colored, polished and the whole thing coated with a thick layer of shell-lack or similar conservative. I doubt that it`s possible to fake the iridescent play of colors however...

[Troodon]

I visited a shop in Canada that mined, prepped and sold ammolite ammonites and was fortunate to see their process.  I was surprised how beat up they were coming out of the mine, like aeon.rocks mentioned, and how many hours were spent on each one restoring,  repairing, painting and polishing to get them to look like what is sold.   The ones you have are indeed real but it will take an expert and very close examination to determine the level of work that has been done on each.  They are indeed a beautiful piece of ART.

 

 

[Ridgehiker]

I'm not a big fan of these alterered Placenticeras ammonites.  I see them more as a work of art rather than as a fossil.

 

Anyways, yes, quite real. The surface is capped like many gem stones to accentuate the colours.  There can be a lot of repair and filler fragments. Each to their own...to me they look like ammonites dipped in Varathane.

 

Anyways the Korite excavations are near the Blood Indian reserve north of the Alberta/Montana Border.  The Alberta Paleo Society has had field trips out and its quite interesting to see it all first hand. However, fun to find your own Placenticeras ammonite in the  Bearpaw Shale deposits near Manyberries further to be east. They can still have a lot of natural colour but just not the gem appearance.  

 

This is one of mine 'in the raw' without the acrylic finish.

 

Edited September 3, 2016 by Ridgehiker

[VTinNorthAB]

11 minutes ago, Canadawest said:

I'm not a big fan of these alterered Placenticeras ammonites.  I see them more as a work of art rather than as a fossil.

 

Anyways, yes, quite real. The surface is capped like many gem stones to accentuate the colours.  There can be a lot of repair and filler fragments. Each to their own...to me they look like ammonites dipped in Varathane.

 

Anyways the Korite excavations are near the Blood Indian reserve north of the Alberta/Montana Border.  The Alberta Paleo Society has had field trips out and its quite interesting to see it all first hand. However, fun to find your own Placenticeras ammonite in the  Bearpaw Shale deposits near Manyberries further to be east. They can still have a lot of natural colour but just not the gem appearance.  

 

This is one of mine 'in the raw' without the acrylic finish.

 

Oh my goodness I definitely like yours better!!!  I haven't purchased any of the above but would like to add one to my collection.

 

Are you allowed to keep the ones from Manyberries?  My daughters are both total rock hounds too and I've been trying to find a good "mine your own" in the area

[Seguidora-de-Isis]

If you collect fossils, so I do not advise you to acquire. Remember that all the coating was destroyed during the polishing process. In addition there must be many repairs! Ma if you like beautiful works of art, so I recommend yes. Very repaired, but it's not fake!

[caldigger]

Personally, I prefer the natural surface of MythrilDelight's specimen (great piece by the way!). I have never been a fan of cut and polishing fossils. 

[VTinNorthAB]

Oh no that's not my specimen but my gosh I wish it were :).  I don't have very many raw ammonites.  I have a supposed harpoceras and I'm waiting to get my surriceras

[Wrangellian]

I agree with Canadawest, I like the natural ones too, even if not as spectacular, they surely are cheaper to acquire.

I have one from out that way somewhere (given to me so am unsure of the exact location) but it appears to have had some sort of gloss coating it, but patchy, not even all over. I can't figure out whether to add more of whatever the coating is to make it look more even, or try to have what's there removed. If I could figure out what it was I would know how to proceed.