Fossil Plant Preservation

[Yoda]

I have recently obtained this Pennsylvanian Fossil Fern - Schuylkill County. Leaves on both sides of the plate. 

 

I have read that some plants on slate can peel. 

Is that something that tends to happen with this material?

If so, what would I use to prevent this from happening?

 

Thanks

 

 

[Wrangellian]

Looks Like St. Clair material... I've got a couple pieces and have not seen any peel and have never heard of it happening with anyone else's pieces either. But maybe others have had a different experience.

I have heard of peeling happening with the more recent (Miocene) plant material from the Clarkia beds, where the leaves are almost unaltered.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarkia_fossil_beds

[Fossildude19]

The St. Clair material is subject to weathering and excessive handling.

The white pyrophyllite can be removed . The shale itself can also leave a coal-like, black powdery residue.

Some people have used hairspray as a fixitive. Others have used a matte acryllic fixitive on this type of material.

 

[Yoda]

On 10/05/2019 at 12:16 PM, Fossildude19 said:

The St. Clair material is subject to weathering and excessive handling.

The white pyrophyllite can be removed . The shale itself can also leave a coal-like, black powdery residue.

Some people have used hairspray as a fixitive. Others have used a matte acryllic fixitive on this type of material.

 

I don't handle my specimens unless absolutely necessary.

Should I just monitor it for the time being? 

Or give a light spray with hairspray (going to be interesting explaining this to my Mrs  )

[Wrangellian]

If people are going to handle the specimens regularly, they could be protected with some sort of coating... Mine generally don't get handled except by me occasionally (and only by the edges), and they have not noticeably changed since I got them, so I don't see the need to coat them.

I've got some local plant fossils that are even more delicate (soft matrix) and I still don't coat them with anything - only some glue into the cracks on the sides to keep them from falling apart. I'm afraid if I did coat them with something and then later decided that the coating needed to be removed, that the method of removal could adversely affect the fossil.

[snolly50]

On 5/10/2019 at 7:16 AM, Fossildude19 said:

Others have used a matte acryllic fixitive on this type of material.

Tn the past I have often used a matte, clear acrylic "craft sealer" on fossils of various ilk. This has been satisfactory, except in the case of a large St. Clair plate. It did indeed contain the extreme black smudging from the matrix, but it dulled the appearance of the white pyrophyllite to a very obvious extent. A collector from this Forum who later acquired that piece reported success in removing the acrylic. I have opted not to spray other pieces of St. Clair material, but it is messy if handled. I have not noticed deterioration of the fossils (10+ years, kept behind glass). Good luck, have fun.