Joshua Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Hello to any and all who read this. The title pretty much sums up my question. I google'd for any such thing but found nothing promising. I'm a geology student, and thanks to the programs/trips of my university dept have had the incredible luck of finding and unearthing an incredible ammonite fossil. It's my first fossil find ever, so I guess I'm no longer a fossil hunter virgin. It went to the dept, of course, but I have been told there is a real chance that after it has been identified they may give it back to me, and if I do get it back I intend to display it with pride. I did find the stickied notes about how to restore a fossil (using an ammonite as reference, no less!) very helpful - but I don't think I have the courage to risk damaging it, my first fossil. So, does anyone here know of a company or person that can professionally restore a fossil? Thanks for your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 (edited) welcome to the wild world of fossils. A quick vocabulary question. When someone says Restoration in the fossil world they generally mean reconstruction of parts that are missing or broken. It may be that what you are looking for is Preparation. This is the fine art of getting the fossil out of the rock. It includes stabilizing, which is gluing things so they don't fall off... to avoid restoration. There are a few professional prepartors on this list. I just happen to be one of them. So what exactly do you want done to your ammonite(s)? And let's start from there. I don't promise nothing cuz I'm pretty busy, but others may also pipe in. I hope this helps a little, and we all love pix of fossils here. Edited March 19, 2011 by jpc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 Awesome, thanks for the reply. And thanks for clarifying terminology! Functionally, I'd like the ammonite mounted on some sort of stand. It is in four sections, but they all snap together like puzzle pieces along their suture marks, so I'm not sure it would be difficult to get them to cooperate. Cosmetically, I believe there is still some junk rock still on it in some places (I wish I had more time with it to examine it). Note that in addition to the ammonite there was a fairly preserved mold of it underneath. Most people in the dept cooed over it more than the ammonite itself, which is why I am holding it instead of the ammonite for the photo. I disagree with this of course, I think the ammonite (on my backpack) is simply stunning. If I also get the mold of it back I am not sure yet what to do with it. Those are the only photos I have regrettably, only one of which shows the ammonite in question - but the mold underneath it is also pretty rad so I may look into doing something with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteseer Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 The ammonite pieces might stick together just fine with a cyanoacrylate glue or you might want to drill the pieces, if they're not too fragile, put rods in for extra strength, and then glue them together. You can trim down the plate that contains the negative and then display them together with ammonite on a stand. Awesome, thanks for the reply. And thanks for clarifying terminology! Functionally, I'd like the ammonite mounted on some sort of stand. It is in four sections, but they all snap together like puzzle pieces along their suture marks, so I'm not sure it would be difficult to get them to cooperate. Cosmetically, I believe there is still some junk rock still on it in some places (I wish I had more time with it to examine it). Note that in addition to the ammonite there was a fairly preserved mold of it underneath. Most people in the dept cooed over it more than the ammonite itself, which is why I am holding it instead of the ammonite for the photo. I disagree with this of course, I think the ammonite (on my backpack) is simply stunning. If I also get the mold of it back I am not sure yet what to do with it. Those are the only photos I have regrettably, only one of which shows the ammonite in question - but the mold underneath it is also pretty rad so I may look into doing something with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erose Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 That should clean up fairly well with a soft toothbrush and dental pick. I would also suggest cyanoacrylate (super) glue. Get the thick stuff and don't use too much or it will squeeze out and make a mess. You could display the fossil and the mold side-by-side. For your first fossil it certainly is a keeper. But as you get to collect more over the years you will find better stuff. Not that one's first ammonite isn't always the best. Where I collected in the Paleozoic it was your first trilobite that could never be better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 the lower cretaceous of texas has a lot of ammonites in it, and if you stay in pursuit of them, you will eventually find some that are good display pieces without any repair or consolidation needed. the advantage to this concept is that it's fun to hunt for fossils, and you tend to get surprise bonuses along the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear-dog Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Love the fossil.If it were me,I would have it mounted standing up with the negative laying down in the correct position.Just thinking outside the box. Bear-dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 As always, I appreciate all the input on how to make the fossil presentable. And I am grateful for the praise on my find! If it's as easy as some superglue and a toothbrush to make the ammonite look respectable, than I will seriously consider *very gently* trying to clean it up on my own. And thanks for the advice on what to do with the negative mold of it, if I could tie the two pieces together into one display, I think that would look amazing. I'll ask for some input from the paleo professor at my dept about other tips and tricks to get the fossil into shape. This is all based on the assumption that the fossil makes it way back into my hands (which a selfish part of me really hopes it does). The professor who led the group I was in has tentatively identified it as p. texanites americanus - I can't remember what the p stood for. Once it returns I'll update what it is for certain. I can definitely see how fossil hunting can become addictive. My hands were shaking with excitement when I dug the ammonite up. Thanks so much again for everyone's time and guidance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 ...tentatively identified it as p. texanites americanus - I can't remember what the p stood for. Once it returns I'll update what it is for certain. There's a Texanites americanus (Lasswitz); I don't know what's up with the "p"... Do please let us know the outcome! "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobWill Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 The side of the ammonite showing on the backpack looks pretty rough. To display that side would take restoration as well as preparation, but from the looks of the mold it's the other side you'll point up and from the detail showing there may be little you need to do to the other side. The mold came away from the umbilicus very cleanly. This is often the hardest part to remove the matrix from. Also since there is little or no matrix on the center of the rough side be careful because this may be very thin. I've broken a hole through trying to clean up one like this before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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