Hat Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 I'm pretty new to buying fossils, and I noticed some nice looking trilobites and other stuff from this same seller. I can't tell if it's been painted or repaired or anything. Has it? It looks a little shiny. Not sure why... Thanks, Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 It may have a light application of matte varnish. That can easily be reversed with acetone. It could also be glare from flash or lighting. To be certain you should ask the seller directly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 These are often times "prepped" by using a wire wheel or wire brush, this adds more shine to an already pretty shiny preservation. 2 ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilobiting Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 Here are the photos from the auction site. Those trilobites look alright to me. 2 "Fossils have richer stories to tell about the lub-dub of dinosaur life than we have been willing to listen to." - Robert T. Bakker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 The larger one looks like it was glued back together. There's an obvious crack running through the left side of the cephalon. That's however nothing unusual for these trilos, which, by the way, are quite common on the market. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 These are often air-abraded and I suspect that gives them a bit of a shine too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hat Posted April 22, 2017 Author Share Posted April 22, 2017 Thanks everybody. I wrote the seller to ask why they're so shiny. Having read your posts and stared at the fossils for a little while, I think it's more of a polished look rather than a chemically coated look. Almost like someone buffed them. I used to collect coins, and some other coin collectors are so incredibly strict about having their coins be completely original with no alterations (e.g. cleaning) it can be rather ridiculous. I'm glad to see that fossil collection is not so heavily plagued by this tendancy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hat Posted April 22, 2017 Author Share Posted April 22, 2017 Got this response feom the seller. Not too detail an answer, but whatever... "Thank you for the email.This one is totally natural, not coating or anything like that. The fossil is just different than the matrix.Have a great day!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 I see enough marks on your close up pix that i think these were indeed prepped with a wire brush on a Dremel. That definitely makes them shiny. Air abrasion generally does not make these Utah trilobites shine. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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