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DJR Expert Guide Series, Vol. 422 — Master Guide to Fossil Authentication (Casting, Matrix, Tool Marks)
The fossil market is one of the most heavily forged categories in natural-history collecting. Resin casts, carved stone replicas, composite specimens, artificially created matrix layers, painted fakes, and heavily restored fossils all appear regularly in the marketplace—often sold as genuine. Authenticating fossils requires scientific evaluation of geology, mineralization, matrix structure, tool-mark evidence, UV fluorescence, and species-specific morphology.
DJR Expert Guide Series, Vol. 422 — Master Guide to Fossil Authentication (Casting, Matrix, Tool Marks) provides the full professional workflow used by paleontologists, museum preparators, appraisers, and fossil dealers to confidently distinguish genuine fossils from fabricated, altered, or partially reconstructed examples.
Inside, you’ll learn how experts:
Distinguish natural fossil texture from resin or plaster casting
Evaluate matrix consistency, grain structure & geological authenticity
Identify rotary-tool marks, abrasion lines, carving evidence & artificial shaping
Recognize painted surfaces, applied dyes & false patination
Detect composite fossils assembled from multiple unrelated pieces
Identify artificial or lab-created matrix additions
Examine fracture patterns, mineralization depth & internal structure
Use UV blacklight to detect glue, filler & restoration patches
Evaluate density, hardness & weight consistency for authentic fossil material
Authenticate dinosaur teeth, trilobites, ammonites, fish fossils & petrified wood
Separate genuine species traits from carved or simplified forgeries
Identify locality inconsistencies between matrix and claimed origin
Interpret provenance, collector history, lab preparation records & disclosure requirements
Determine accurate fair-market value based on rarity, completeness, restoration %, scientific interest & aesthetics
Whether evaluating trilobites, ammonites, vertebrate fossils, teeth, bone fragments, fossil fish, petrified wood, or composite displays, this guide provides the full scientific methodology necessary to authenticate fossils with professional confidence.
Digital Download — PDF • 9 Pages • Instant Access
The fossil market is one of the most heavily forged categories in natural-history collecting. Resin casts, carved stone replicas, composite specimens, artificially created matrix layers, painted fakes, and heavily restored fossils all appear regularly in the marketplace—often sold as genuine. Authenticating fossils requires scientific evaluation of geology, mineralization, matrix structure, tool-mark evidence, UV fluorescence, and species-specific morphology.
DJR Expert Guide Series, Vol. 422 — Master Guide to Fossil Authentication (Casting, Matrix, Tool Marks) provides the full professional workflow used by paleontologists, museum preparators, appraisers, and fossil dealers to confidently distinguish genuine fossils from fabricated, altered, or partially reconstructed examples.
Inside, you’ll learn how experts:
Distinguish natural fossil texture from resin or plaster casting
Evaluate matrix consistency, grain structure & geological authenticity
Identify rotary-tool marks, abrasion lines, carving evidence & artificial shaping
Recognize painted surfaces, applied dyes & false patination
Detect composite fossils assembled from multiple unrelated pieces
Identify artificial or lab-created matrix additions
Examine fracture patterns, mineralization depth & internal structure
Use UV blacklight to detect glue, filler & restoration patches
Evaluate density, hardness & weight consistency for authentic fossil material
Authenticate dinosaur teeth, trilobites, ammonites, fish fossils & petrified wood
Separate genuine species traits from carved or simplified forgeries
Identify locality inconsistencies between matrix and claimed origin
Interpret provenance, collector history, lab preparation records & disclosure requirements
Determine accurate fair-market value based on rarity, completeness, restoration %, scientific interest & aesthetics
Whether evaluating trilobites, ammonites, vertebrate fossils, teeth, bone fragments, fossil fish, petrified wood, or composite displays, this guide provides the full scientific methodology necessary to authenticate fossils with professional confidence.
Digital Download — PDF • 9 Pages • Instant Access