Pyritized Wheeler Shale trilobite

[connorp]

I have come across, for sale, a pyritized agnostid trilobite from the Wheeler Shale. I was curious if anyone had seen these before, and if so, how susceptible were they to pyrite disease? It's quite a nice specimen but I don't want to waste money if it's guaranteed to rot in a year or two.

[caldigger]

It's lasted for 500 million, what's a year or two more? 

[siteseer]

15 hours ago, connorp said:

I have come across, for sale, a pyritized agnostid trilobite from the Wheeler Shale. I was curious if anyone had seen these before, and if so, how susceptible were they to pyrite disease? It's quite a nice specimen but I don't want to waste money if it's guaranteed to rot in a year or two.

 

I don't collect trilobites in particular but I have some and early in my collecting I knew a couple of the Utah dealers who wholesaled Elrathia by the flat.  I used to help a friend pick out flats and specimens for resale.  I don't recall seeing any pyritized trilobites for sale.  Fossils pyritized from the Wheeler Shale would be among the oldest ever preserved that way, if not the oldest.  I would ask @piranha and some of the other trilobite specialists.

[piranha]

Here is a large Asaphiscus wheeleri with many pyrite crystals encrusting the thorax and pygidium.  I have had it for 20+ years without any sign of deterioration.

 

[connorp]

33 minutes ago, siteseer said:

 

I don't collect trilobites in particular but I have some and early in my collecting I knew a couple of the Utah dealers who wholesaled Elrathia by the flat.  I used to help a friend pick out flats and specimens for resale.  I don't recall seeing any pyritized trilobites for sale.  Fossils pyritized from the Wheeler Shale would be among the oldest ever preserved that way, if not the oldest.  I would ask @piranha and some of the other trilobite specialists.

I contacted the seller and it turns out the lighting was just deceptive – they're not pyritized. Oh well

[siteseer]

23 hours ago, piranha said:

Here is a large Asaphiscus wheeleri with many pyrite crystals encrusting the thorax and pygidium.  I have had it for 20+ years without any sign of deterioration.

 

 

That's cool.  I figured you would know and perhaps even have an example.  However, the weird thing is that your post came after Connorp's last one but got inserted after mine and before his.

 

Jess

 

 

[Mark Kmiecik]

On 7/27/2019 at 2:56 PM, connorp said:

I contacted the seller and it turns out the lighting was just deceptive – they're not pyritized. Oh well

Imaginary pyrite holds up very well over time, as you can well imagine.