Megalodon Tooth fossil (Is this tooth real ? Any red flags?)

[Nab5454]

Is this tooth real and doesn’t have anything suspicious going on ? 

[aeon.rocks]

No red flags! A really nice quality meg, we don't see many like this here on FF, people usually buy junkers.

[jcbshark]

That’s a beautiful example. They don’t get any better

[Nab5454]

Yea! I just bought it it’s quite expensive. Do you know where this piece is from ? Georgia or North or South Carolina 

[Nab5454]

Here are more clearer pictures Is every single part of the tooth authentic ? 

Edited July 25 by Nab5454

[jcbshark]

Those are three solid guesses where it could be from but your best option would be to ask the seller. That’s one of the most common colors they come in but it’s a stunner

[Nab5454]

It’s definitely real ? I need to be sure  [price removed]

[Kane]

Please do not post prices. I have removed it for the second time. 

[FossilNerd]

Looks real to me. No red flags. 

[rocket]

great meg! if price is good for you go to shop!

[Gareth_]

22 hours ago, Nab5454 said:

It’s definitely real ? I need to be sure  [price removed]

 

You won't get a "definitely" from us. We can only go off the pictures supplied. Yes it looks unrestored and unrepaired BUT we're basing that opinion on just a few pictures. Some restoration work is very difficult to spot from pics. An in hand inspection is the best bet but obviously that's not always possible. If this tooth was damaged (broken root lobe or something) there are a lot of people who would have this quality of tooth restored. 
I can't see any red flags but I'm not saying it is completely natural because I can't say that without holding the tooth. The pics could certainly be a lot more detailed but I don't think the seller is trying to hide anything (unlike Indo Meg teeth sellers who supply very poor quality pics to hide unnatural teeth)

[MarcoSr]

Nice tooth.  But the shine on the labial crown seen in one picture and the different color along the lingual crown edge shows polishing or buffing to me.  The crown seems a little shinny also in the first picture.  Maybe the tooth is lightly coated with something.  It could be natural, however.

 

Marco Sr.

[Nab5454]

Oh could take a look further into that please I’ll give you clearer pictures note that there’s bright flash light on it. Is this serious and does it still make the tooth real or if there really is polishing on something on the tooth does it diminish the value ? 

[Kane]

You have been told repeatedly that it is likely this tooth is real. Discussion of value is immaterial to our purpose here as a science-based forum. 

[Gareth_]

16 minutes ago, MarcoSr said:

Nice tooth.  But the shine on the labial crown seen in one picture and the different color along the lingual crown edge shows polishing or buffing to me.  The crown seems a little shinny also in the first picture.  Maybe the tooth is lightly coated with something.  It could be natural, however.

 

Marco Sr.

I think the shine is natural on this tooth.... I have a few Megalodon teeth in my collection that shiny and it's just very well preserved enameloid. 

The different colour you're seeing along the carinae is completely normal. Most Megalodon teeth (and of course, some other fossil shark teeth) have an iridescent crown. I believe this is due to the direction the enameloid is laid down (at the microscopic level) when the tooth is being made by the shark - the enameloid fibres change direction right where that colour change is. This also might be the reason you rarely see cracking in the crown in this area.

Someone made a brilliant thread on the enameloid under microscope

[Nab5454]

Oh I see. Thank you for this valuable information 

[Gareth_]

4 minutes ago, Nab5454 said:

Oh could take a look further into that please I’ll give you clearer pictures note that there’s bright flash light on it. Is this serious and does it still make the tooth real or if there really is polishing on something on the tooth does it diminish the value ? 

 

 

 

 

Please read my above reply.... the colour change around the edges of the crown are completely normal. I see it on most Megalodon teeth I handle. I do not believe it has been polished. 

[Nab5454]

Yea, you replied to me after I posted that 

[Gareth_]

@Nab5454 This is just to put your mind at ease.... 
 I could show a lot more pics showing the iridescence of the crown (on both sides). Under light the edge changes between light and dark colouring, same with the middle part of the crown. One pic shows the natural shine of some teeth. 

Edited July 27 by Gareth_

[MarcoSr]

3 hours ago, Gareth_ said:

@Nab5454 This is just to put your mind at ease.... 
 I could show a lot more pics showing the iridescence of the crown (on both sides). Under light the edge changes between light and dark colouring, same with the middle part of the crown. One pic shows the natural shine of some teeth. 

 

 Did you collect these teeth yourself and know for sure that they weren't altered?  It is odd that the cracks in the enamel  seem to end at the color change and the texture of the enamel changes.  Ocean megs especially can be very encrusted when found.  They are soaked in chemicals to soften and remove a lot of the encrustation. The remaining encrustation is typically ground off and then the megs are polished/buffed.  It is, however, totally possible that natural water wear can give the same appearance but that usually appears on only one side of the meg.

 

With respect to the tooth in this post, the new pictures don't show the root as shinny as in the original pictures so I am not concerned about that.  However, the new pictures show me that the enamel cracks on the labial and lingual sides of the crown seem to end at the color changes which is very evident in the new pictures.  The enamel texture is also different in the two color areas with the enamel.  The tooth is real.  But in my humble opinion the tooth in the original post was either altered by mother nature or by a human hand.

 

EDIT:  You can clearly see in this picture (the arrows point to original enamel) that the crown has been altered.

 

 

 

 

 

Marco Sr.

Edited July 27 by MarcoSr
added picture

[JorisVV]

On 7/27/2023 at 4:14 PM, MarcoSr said:

 

 Did you collect these teeth yourself and know for sure that they weren't altered?  It is odd that the cracks in the enamel  seem to end at the color change and the texture of the enamel changes.  Ocean megs especially can be very encrusted when found.  They are soaked in chemicals to soften and remove a lot of the encrustation. The remaining encrustation is typically ground off and then the megs are polished/buffed.  It is, however, totally possible that natural water wear can give the same appearance but that usually appears on only one side of the meg.

 

With respect to the tooth in this post, the new pictures don't show the root as shinny as in the original pictures so I am not concerned about that.  However, the new pictures show me that the enamel cracks on the labial and lingual sides of the crown seem to end at the color changes which is very evident in the new pictures.  The enamel texture is also different in the two color areas with the enamel.  The tooth is real.  But in my humble opinion the tooth in the original post was either altered by mother nature or by a human hand.

 

EDIT:  You can clearly see in this picture (the arrows point to original enamel) that the crown has been altered.

 

 

 

 

 

Marco Sr.

Isnt that a rather common thing for megalodon teeth

[Gareth_]

On 7/28/2023 at 2:14 AM, MarcoSr said:

 

 Did you collect these teeth yourself and know for sure that they weren't altered?  It is odd that the cracks in the enamel  seem to end at the color change and the texture of the enamel changes.  Ocean megs especially can be very encrusted when found.  They are soaked in chemicals to soften and remove a lot of the encrustation. The remaining encrustation is typically ground off and then the megs are polished/buffed.  It is, however, totally possible that natural water wear can give the same appearance but that usually appears on only one side of the meg.

 

With respect to the tooth in this post, the new pictures don't show the root as shinny as in the original pictures so I am not concerned about that.  However, the new pictures show me that the enamel cracks on the labial and lingual sides of the crown seem to end at the color changes which is very evident in the new pictures.  The enamel texture is also different in the two color areas with the enamel.  The tooth is real.  But in my humble opinion the tooth in the original post was either altered by mother nature or by a human hand.

 

EDIT:  You can clearly see in this picture (the arrows point to original enamel) that the crown has been altered.

 

 

 

 

 

Marco Sr.

 

 

 

I recommend having a read of this thread, the iridescence in the teeth seems to match where the enameloid changes direction. Polishing etc does not cause the iridescence, I've handled many, many fossilised shark teeth and that effect is IN the tooth. There is a real depth of colour to them. If the centre appears dark and the edges light, move the tooth around and get the angle right, the edges will appear dark and the centre light. 
The person I buy the majority of my fossil shark teeth from personally finds (or his dive partner) most of what I buy. He uses apple cider vinegar and elbow grease to remove the crust. I've received a 4.1" tooth from him that was not cleaned, but I could still see the iridescence in the crown. 

This iridescence and the lack of cracking before the edge of the crown is not restricted to just Megalodon teeth.... I see it in all species of shark within Otodus. I also see it in Carcharodon hastalis and Carcharodon carcharias teeth.

 

In the specific tooth above... there is absolutely no alteration done. This is completely normal to see. 

 

 

 

Determine Real Fossil Shark Teeth including Megalodon using a dissecting microscope - Is It Real? How to Recognize Fossil Fabrications - The Fossil Forum

Edited July 29 by Gareth_

[MarcoSr]

2 hours ago, Gareth_ said:

 

 

 

I recommend having a read of this thread, the iridescence in the teeth seems to match where the enameloid changes direction. Polishing etc does not cause the iridescence, I've handled many, many fossilised shark teeth and that effect is IN the tooth. There is a real depth of colour to them. If the centre appears dark and the edges light, move the tooth around and get the angle right, the edges will appear dark and the centre light. 
The person I buy the majority of my fossil shark teeth from personally finds (or his dive partner) most of what I buy. He uses apple cider vinegar and elbow grease to remove the crust. I've received a 4.1" tooth from him that was not cleaned, but I could still see the iridescence in the crown. 

This iridescence and the lack of cracking before the edge of the crown is not restricted to just Megalodon teeth.... I see it in all species of shark within Otodus. I also see it in Carcharodon hastalis and Carcharodon carcharias teeth.

 

In the specific tooth above... there is absolutely no alteration done. This is completely normal to see. 

 

 

 

Determine Real Fossil Shark Teeth including Megalodon using a dissecting microscope - Is It Real? How to Recognize Fossil Fabrications - The Fossil Forum

 

If you can't see alteration in the picture, it is not worth discussing this any further.

 

Edit:  When you soak teeth in vinegar long enough to soften and remove encrustation, the acetic acid can change the color of the enamel not encrusted.  Also, when you remove the remaining encrustation by elbow grease or grinder you remove the very top of the enamel which changes the enamel color and texture.  When a human changes the appearance of the meg, it is Not natural and is altered.  You can clearly see in the one picture what the unaltered enamel would look like which is very different in color and texture from what most of the rest of the enamel looks like.

 

Marco Sr. 

[MarcoSr]

6 hours ago, JorisVV said:

Isnt that a rather common thing for megalodon teeth

 

I don't understand your question.  What do you think is rather common?  If you can't see the alteration in the pictures, it is not worth discussing this any further.

 

Edit:  If you mean by common, removing encrustation and buffing/polishing the enamel of megs, that is common for ocean megs and megs found in hard matrix.  However this process can change the enamel color, texture and add shine.  Many megs do not have encrustation/hard matrix on them, and are not changed in this way.  However some sellers polish their megs to make them shinny so they sell better.  To me these are altered megs.  The meg in this post has had the enamel color, texture and shine altered.  Could be natural but looks like it was done by human hands to me.

 

Marco Sr.

[JorisVV]

6 hours ago, MarcoSr said:

 

I don't understand your question.  What do you think is rather common?  If you can't see the alteration in the pictures, it is not worth discussing this any further.

 

Edit:  If you mean by common, removing encrustation and buffing/polishing the enamel of megs, that is common for ocean megs and megs found in hard matrix.  However this process can change the enamel color, texture and add shine.  Many megs do not have encrustation/hard matrix on them, and are not changed in this way.  However some sellers polish their megs to make them shinny so they sell better.  To me these are altered megs.  The meg in this post has had the enamel color, texture and shine altered.  Could be natural but looks like it was done by human hands to me.

 

Marco Sr.

Yea but a lot of them arent. And georgia megs have a different preservation than the carolina stuff for example. The pieces i have obtained in the past did not have such issues and looked similair in the end. 

 

Though this could vary of course