Stabilizing pyritized ammonites

Christine3 2013-11-09 05:15:52 UTC #1

I am in desperate need of some suggestions on how I can save a bunch
of pyritized ammonites that I purchased. They have started to
disintegrate right before my eyes and I don't know how to stop it.
Is it the way I am storing them or did something happen that started
this disintegration process? They were so beautiful when I bought
them and I have quite a bit invested in them. At this point I am so
glad that I did not make anything with them so that I don't have
customers upset with me. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Christine

Noman 2013-11-10 04:08:48 UTC #2

This is one instance wherein you might want to set them in a closed back bezel and use lots of epoxy to hold 'em all together after you've set the bezel.

Paf Dvorak

rebecca_rourke1 2013-11-10 10:43:44 UTC #3

unfortunately this is common with much of the material on the market- it has fractures all over the cut surface but dealers often 'polish' it before a show if they aren't selling it for under two bucks for the average 2 inch specimen. Where the mineralisation has occured you can polish it again and then seal it with marine varnish (waterproof and remains clear) if the fractures are hairline or less (almost invisible) soaking in a preparation like Opticon is ok-again if the fractures are small. If portions of the mineral have actually crumbled from exposure to light and acrid or salt air then it's a matter for a resin fill as the material will continue to

disintegrate and the only preparation useful is one that will both fill in large gaps and seal the surface- you can mix powdered / crystalline pyrite / marcasite / limonite into a small amount of resin to fill in obvious areas then after it is fully cured polish it to appear congruous with the rest of the pieces, then seal it with the necessary number of layers of resin to level the surface's appearance. Strictly adhering to manuf. curing instructions between applications to prevent cloudiness in time (gasses will try to escape from the specimen as long as any surface remains

unsealed).Make certain the resin isn't one that remains flexible -you want it to be hard. After opticon and the hardener it will polish better than any epoxy..