Fossil Authenticity
Authenticity of our Fossils
Unless clearly noted in the specimen title and description as “reproductions” all fossil specimens from Fossil Shack are ** 100% AUTHENTIC **. We work only with trusted sources and hand select every item we sell. Our team of fossil experts and scientists have the knowledge to be able to verify all of our specimens and each fossil comes with a certificate of authenticity.
Fossil Repair
The reality of unearthing fossils is that nearly all come out of the ground in multiple pieces and need to be repaired. With most types of fossils, specimens that don’t require any repair are very a rare exception to find. If unbroken fossils are found, they are very prized, and by extension much more valuable than others and sell for very high prices. For example most 3D trilobites are found through breaking the rock and looking for their cross section. They are then glued back together and prepared. Almost all dinosaur material needs to be stabilized and glued back together as it is most often found in pieces and sections. Dinosaur teeth are another such example. After millions of years of geological forces working against the delicate fossils, most are extracted in small pieces and then put back together piece by piece.
Because of the expertise of our staff, repair is nearly impossible to see and enhances the value of a specimen. It’s the sign of a great fossil preparator to be able to piece together a spectacular specimen from one that may have come out of the ground as a fragmented jigsaw puzzle. We never attempt to hide the fact that fossils have repairs and are not found perfect. We believe that this simply adds to their incredible story.
Fossil Restoration
Restoration is very different from repair. It refers to reconstructing part of a fossil that was missing or damaged as opposed to just gluing pieces back together. This may range from restoring a tiny flake of missing shell on a crack or enamel on a tooth, to adding spines to a trilobite that were missing. If you go to a museum almost all the specimens they will have on display have been restored. Restoration, when done well, adds to the aesthetic nature of the fossil and makes a more complete and displayable piece.
Like repair with some types of fossils and locations, most specimens have some degree of restoration. The shell on large trilobites tends to crack due to expansion and contraction of the rock and some flakes may not be recoverable. Nearly all Russian trilobites have restoration. For a collector, restoring a missing piece of shell is much preferable to having an ugly hole in the shell.
Unfortunately, many fossil dealers (particularly online dealers) are not honest about the degree of restoration done to the fossils they sell. Too often they sell specimens with high amounts of restoration without telling buyers about it. A perfect specimen with no restoration is much more valuable than a specimen with restoration as it’s significantly more rare, which may be motivation for some not to disclose when a piece has been restored.
Fossil Shack’s policy is to make note of any restoration that has been done in the item description. We prepare most of our own fossils and know exactly what restoration has been done and note that in the description. When we purchase prepared fossils to sell, we don’t just rely on what we’ve been told to us about the fossil, but go over specimens under microscope, with ultraviolet lights and other measures to verify any areas of restoration. In many cases we also choose not to restore the fossils and just sell them as they were found because each one is unique and has its own story to tell.
Unless clearly noted in the specimen title and description as “reproductions” all fossil specimens from Fossil Shack are ** 100% AUTHENTIC **. We work only with trusted sources and hand select every item we sell. Our team of fossil experts and scientists have the knowledge to be able to verify all of our specimens and each fossil comes with a certificate of authenticity.
Fossil Repair
The reality of unearthing fossils is that nearly all come out of the ground in multiple pieces and need to be repaired. With most types of fossils, specimens that don’t require any repair are very a rare exception to find. If unbroken fossils are found, they are very prized, and by extension much more valuable than others and sell for very high prices. For example most 3D trilobites are found through breaking the rock and looking for their cross section. They are then glued back together and prepared. Almost all dinosaur material needs to be stabilized and glued back together as it is most often found in pieces and sections. Dinosaur teeth are another such example. After millions of years of geological forces working against the delicate fossils, most are extracted in small pieces and then put back together piece by piece.
Because of the expertise of our staff, repair is nearly impossible to see and enhances the value of a specimen. It’s the sign of a great fossil preparator to be able to piece together a spectacular specimen from one that may have come out of the ground as a fragmented jigsaw puzzle. We never attempt to hide the fact that fossils have repairs and are not found perfect. We believe that this simply adds to their incredible story.
Fossil Restoration
Restoration is very different from repair. It refers to reconstructing part of a fossil that was missing or damaged as opposed to just gluing pieces back together. This may range from restoring a tiny flake of missing shell on a crack or enamel on a tooth, to adding spines to a trilobite that were missing. If you go to a museum almost all the specimens they will have on display have been restored. Restoration, when done well, adds to the aesthetic nature of the fossil and makes a more complete and displayable piece.
Like repair with some types of fossils and locations, most specimens have some degree of restoration. The shell on large trilobites tends to crack due to expansion and contraction of the rock and some flakes may not be recoverable. Nearly all Russian trilobites have restoration. For a collector, restoring a missing piece of shell is much preferable to having an ugly hole in the shell.
Unfortunately, many fossil dealers (particularly online dealers) are not honest about the degree of restoration done to the fossils they sell. Too often they sell specimens with high amounts of restoration without telling buyers about it. A perfect specimen with no restoration is much more valuable than a specimen with restoration as it’s significantly more rare, which may be motivation for some not to disclose when a piece has been restored.
Fossil Shack’s policy is to make note of any restoration that has been done in the item description. We prepare most of our own fossils and know exactly what restoration has been done and note that in the description. When we purchase prepared fossils to sell, we don’t just rely on what we’ve been told to us about the fossil, but go over specimens under microscope, with ultraviolet lights and other measures to verify any areas of restoration. In many cases we also choose not to restore the fossils and just sell them as they were found because each one is unique and has its own story to tell.
Example of a Mosasaur Project (Before and After)
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