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For a long time I've always wanted to have one of these trilobites, but they are so commonly faked I get anxiety whenever I consider ever purchasing one which has put me off from them for so long. I know there are obvious fakes but some get very close to real and I have a hard time disconcerning, a little restoration isn't so bad to me if its small part and the majority is real. Below I'm going to post a few pictures of some recent ones that leave me scratching my head. God forbid if these end up being fakes even though I definitely suspect restorations for sure, anyone know where to come across a real one?

 

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Before buying and finally realizing your dream, it is important that you know that of all trilobite fossils, the trilobites Cambropallas andalusiana are one of the most Moroccans have specialized in forging or restoring:

 

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My advice to you is that you try to get a positive / negative, as this may give you a bit more security that is a real fossil, it is a bit more expensive, but it is always worth it, although this does not prevent a small restoration on one side and the other side, in order to correct small parts that are missing:

 

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The great news is that I do not see bubbles that could indicate resin moldings on any of these specimens you've shown here. But definitely all of them have been repaired, in both smaller scale, or on a larger scale.

 

It is very rare to discover an Trilobite Cambropallas andalusiana complete and still in good condition. I have one here in my private collection so you can compare. And note that mine is also possibly a composition;

 

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It is a scientific fact that trilobites Andalusiana Cambropallas usually have a natural yellow oxide coating, so not always an abrupt change of color indicates falsification, but it is also known that Moroccans transform yellow oxide powder to paint and hide imperfections and in more severe cases, they can even use yellow oxide powder to falsify "complete" trilobites:

 

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But the best and safest form of testing is to always look for parts that are rough and have a texture that matches the animal's morphology (look for very small uniform bumpy details). Also look for abrupt shifts between one tint and another of colorations, and distrust especially when there is a suspicious area that changed color abruptly presenting have a soft, smooth texture to the touch.

 

Is It real, or it's not real, that's the question!

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I just came from Tucson and saw hundreds of Cambropallas for sale. I would not say that having the positive/negative pair makes it any more authentic. I saw many, many pairs that I'm pretty sure were completely fake. 

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18 minutes ago, FossilSloth said:

I just came from Tucson and saw hundreds of Cambropallas for sale. I would not say that having the positive/negative pair makes it any more authentic. I saw many, many pairs that I'm pretty sure were completely fake. 

 

And I totally agree with you. And it is precisely for this reason that I wrote: "this may give you a bit more security" (that is, I used the word bit and not much), because really positive and negative is not always total security, especially when it comes to the famous and so coveted Trilobite Andalusiana Cambropallas that is the champion of "restorations" and complete forgeries.

Is It real, or it's not real, that's the question!

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As my good friend @Seguidora-de-Isissays, there are tons of fakes on the market. These things sell. 

However, non of the ones you have posted are fakes, though, as my friend pointed out, some of them have been 'improved' a little. 

I think these are all pretty good ones, seen far, far worse, and would be happy to buy if the price was right. 

Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

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@Seguidora-de-Isis Thank you very much for this useful post! It definitely made the parts that are restored alot clearer and how they look like so I have an idea of what to look out, gained some confidence on what I'm looking at now.

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1 hour ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

As my good friend @Seguidora-de-Isissays, there are tons of fakes on the market. These things sell. 

However, non of the ones you have posted are fakes, though, as my friend pointed out, some of them have been 'improved' a little. 

I think these are all pretty good ones, seen far, far worse, and would be happy to buy if the price was right. 

 

Oh yes my big friend Tidgy's Dad!

 

A trilobite "complete", "makeup" and "improved" like this:

 

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For many people (not all) may be more attractive than a original, 100% natural, but unfortunately incomplete, trilobite like this:

 

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But the big problem begins, is when many sellers announce trilobitas partially carved, made up and improved like this:

 

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With the ad titles: "Complete trilobite", "No restoration", "Fine quality", "Unpublished trilobite" ...

And the worst of it all: When they charge absurd prices!

They can fool the more novice collectors who dream of having a giant trilobite like this on the shelf. :wacko:

 

 

Is It real, or it's not real, that's the question!

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Indeed. 

I get very suspicious when someone says, "no restoration" etc. It often means the opposite! 

It's sometimes a good idea to charge high prices. if you offer a low price people get more suspicious, but a high price? It must be real! Hmmmm. 

It's not just international, i visited a friend's house last year and they had a massive 100% fake "Cambropallas" on display. They were very proud of their Moroccan heritage. i didn't tell them. 

Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160-1.png.60b8b8c07f6fa194511f8b7cfb7cc190.png

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1 hour ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

Indeed. 

I get very suspicious when someone says, "no restoration" etc. It often means the opposite! 

It's sometimes a good idea to charge high prices. if you offer a low price people get more suspicious, but a high price? It must be real! Hmmmm. 

It's not just international, i visited a friend's house last year and they had a massive 100% fake "Cambropallas" on display. They were very proud of their Moroccan heritage. i didn't tell them. 

 

 

This has already happened to me! I would not tell either!

 

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:hearty-laugh:

Is It real, or it's not real, that's the question!

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