clay Posted April 15, 2019 Share Posted April 15, 2019 A friend of mine (who is not a fossil collector) found this fossils at the Outer Banks of NC. He asked me what it was (which I told him) and why it had turned from its very black color when found in the sand to brown with a white-ish residue? He put it back into salt water (which I never heard of doing) and it is fading lighter brown. I have had similar trouble with my black fossils that I thought it was salt film and I rubbed olive oil on them and it cleaned it off and made them shiny. But . . . . I don't have any fossils this big and nice and I didn't want to give him bad advice. What is happening to the color and what can be done about it? Thanks for any advice! *This is the fossil below but it is wet and the film doesn't show up unless it is dry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted April 15, 2019 Share Posted April 15, 2019 First, that is an amazing find for the outer banks. I am guessing when you say outer banks you mean the Kitty Hawk, Waves, Salvo, Rodanthe, Hatteras and Ocracoke areas. Fossils are infrequently found there. I would recommend the fossil be soaked in FRESH water to remove the salt. Then let it fully dry. It will lighten up as it dries out. Now a question for you. Why would you rub olive oil on a fossil? In my opinion this could only damage it in the long run. 2 Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted April 15, 2019 Share Posted April 15, 2019 Try soaking the fossil in distilled water for a week or so and then dry it out. If the film is caused by soluble salts, soaking to dissolve the salts should help. Keep the fossil in a dry display/case. If kept in a humid environment the salts will travel from a place of higher concentration (inside the fossil) to a place of lower concentration (the air). Also, the olive oil is not a good idea. It is an organic substance and just like every other will deteriorate over time and probably leave an even less desirable stain/discoloration that may become permanent. Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Rico Posted April 15, 2019 Share Posted April 15, 2019 Great advice so far I would just add a little help change the water daily and then dry very slowly,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 2 hours ago, Mark Kmiecik said: Also, the olive oil is not a good idea. It is an organic substance and just like every other will deteriorate over time and probably leave an even less desirable stain/discoloration that may become permanent. The olive oil may also go rancid after a while and offer up an unpleasant smell to go along with the staining. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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