TyrannosaurusRex Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 I went to Tucson this year, and I saw hundreds, if not thousands of fakes. Sad thing is that people are actually buying them, as they have no idea of the fact they are fake. Thought I might share a few tips I have learned over the years. Tap your fingernail against it. Compare the feeling and sound to a normal rock. (Many fossils are mineralized, and feel much like stone.) This works well for me, and I have avoided many fakes using this. Granted, not all dealers will let you handle the fossils. Moreso if they know it to be fake. I have had dealers freak out when I examine their potential fakes. I have noticed a massive amount of fakes surging online on sites like Ebay. Unless you know the dealer is a reputable seller, and will offer returns, it is always best to get fossils that you can see in person. (Old yes, but extremely helpful to me.) Many fakes have been made with molds, with resin, and pushed into "matrix" (Often the matrix is just sand and useless bits of bone glued together and has a very distinct look.) If you have a small magnifying glass, look on the surface for bubbles, If you see any, that means a mold was involved and it is fake. Another trick is to (Especially with trilobites and fish) take a small safety pin and scratch into the surface beside the "fossil". Those made in molds will not go beneath the surface. Always be cautious when you buy fossils from Morocco and China in particular. They have master craftsmen over there! On fish, looking at the fins is a good indicator of either the genuineness and the quality. Many times I have nearly bought fish, only to look twice and see the fins had been expertly painted onto the matrix. Anyway, I thought this might be helpful, especially to new members who are looking for quick easy ways to know. If you have any tips, be sure to share! Believe me, I have bought plenty of fakes in my lifetime. None of these are perfect methods, and as we learn to get around fakes, the people making them will only learn to make them differently so we will buy them. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triceratops Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Very informative, thanks for sharing your tips with us. I'm sure I'll find these methods helpful in the future! -Lyall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiggieCie Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TyrannosaurusRex Posted December 4, 2015 Author Share Posted December 4, 2015 Very informative, thanks for sharing your tips with us. I'm sure I'll find these methods helpful in the future! Glad I could help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgroper Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Thank you for taking the time to write this up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Thankfully I have bought very few fakes over the years. One that I did buy from China that particularly annoyed me was a couple of those Ephermeropsis nymphs from Lianoning, which stood out well against the matrix, but only when I received them did I discover that they had been expertly enhanced with ink or watercolor paint. (not completely fake, just real ones enhanced) I guess the real unenhanced ones are never that contrasty. I have not been to very many rock/fossil events but I have seen fakes, the more blatant ones are obvious, like the heteromorph ammos from Morocco that were carved out of the rock ('whole cloth') and painted with the same orangey color as the Ephemeropsis I mentioned. The seller at least admitted it was fake when I pointed it out, but I gather she would have preferred I didn't in front of other potential customers, and of course they weren't labeled as artificial! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pterodactyl Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Thank you so much. You should also beware of "Mosasaur Teeth" in matrix. "Welcome...To Jurassic Park!" -Richard Attenborough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TyrannosaurusRex Posted January 8, 2016 Author Share Posted January 8, 2016 Thank you so much. You should also beware of "Mosasaur Teeth" in matrix. Glad to help! That is VERY true! Out of all the teeth I have taken out of matrix, none of them are in as good of shape as it appears. Often the people do not take the time to be careful with them, and the teeth are broken. Most of the teeth I remove have pieces missing, no enamel on one side....or worse. Thankfully I have bought very few fakes over the years. One that I did buy from China that particularly annoyed me was a couple of those Ephermeropsis nymphs from Lianoning, which stood out well against the matrix, but only when I received them did I discover that they had been expertly enhanced with ink or watercolor paint. (not completely fake, just real ones enhanced) I guess the real unenhanced ones are never that contrasty. I have not been to very many rock/fossil events but I have seen fakes, the more blatant ones are obvious, like the heteromorph ammos from Morocco that were carved out of the rock ('whole cloth') and painted with the same orangey color as the Ephemeropsis I mentioned. The seller at least admitted it was fake when I pointed it out, but I gather she would have preferred I didn't in front of other potential customers, and of course they weren't labeled as artificial! Thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 I forgot to mention also those jellyfish from Wisconsin.. bought one of those just to find out they are painted on (at least some of them and I'm not sure how to tell which) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TyrannosaurusRex Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 I forgot to mention also those jellyfish from Wisconsin.. bought one of those just to find out they are painted on (at least some of them and I'm not sure how to tell which) Sorry to hear that! Thanks for the information though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Shine a UV LED flashlight on suspect fossils before buying as repairs will often be highlighted. I got my 51 LED flashlight off eBay for $10 shipped. Fun for sering which real fossils in your collection light up as well. 1 Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TyrannosaurusRex Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 Shine a UV LED flashlight on suspect fossils before buying as repairs will often be highlighted. I got my 51 LED flashlight off eBay for $10 shipped. Fun for sering which real fossils in your collection light up as well. Wow! That one is new to me. Very interesting. Thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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