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Looking for a Source of Petrified (Agatized) Dino Bone

Posted by Peter Hiatt  
Looking for a Source of Petrified (Agatized) Dino Bone
April 18, 2012 06:18AM
I love the stuff. I have some from Utah I got years ago and want some more. Anyone suggest a shop? Thanks.
avatar Re: Looking for a Source of Petrified (Agatized) Dino Bone
April 18, 2012 01:12PM
us    
Just do a search on the web for agatized dinosaur bone, You’ll find dozens of entries. Make sure the dealer can certify that the material was collected on private land in the U.S. where doing so is legal. A reputable dealer can do that.

However, this is one question I answer with mixed emotions. The primary scourge of vertebrate paleontology is the vandalization of dinosaur and other skeletons in the ground by agatized bone collectors. They often tear up a burial site, ransacking all the bones near the surface, looking for a “pocket” of well-agatized material, smashing up everything they else can easily get to in the frenzy to find the good stuff among lower quality material. The problem is that the good stuff is in great demand in the marketplace. It is a unique kind of agate, with polished pieces used for belt buckles and bolo ties, and prices for polished, shaped material often reaching $20 per gram. There would be many more good, complete, and non-replaceable dinosaur skeletons available for scientific study if it weren’t for the perverse habit of Mother Nature to deposit silica in them.

I know these comments will raise a stink here, but really, you don’t ever want to make an issue in front of a group of paleontologists about the wonderful dinosaur bone you have. It might generate the same kinds of feelings one might see if you had dug up, carted off, and polished agatized human bones (if there were any!). On public lands, you need a permit to collect vertebrate remains of any kind. What you buy from any dealer, on the web or otherwise, may not have been collected legally. That means from private land with permission of the landowner. Paleontologist know that private land owners in the U.S. may be the first to actually want people to come in and exploit it for profit. In many other countries, collecting any dinosaur or other vertebrate material is illegal under all circumstances, but much of what is sold in the U.S. may have come from other countries. It may have been collected by people in the countryside who have little or no other way to make a living for themselves and their families. In the climates and remote locations where dinosaur bones are readily collected, digging them up an selling them may be an easier and safer way to make a living than trying to grow valuable crops (if you know what I mean!).

See this website for a good primer on the issue--[www.paleodirect.com]. This site was put up by a dealer, but seems to me to be knowledgeable and responsible.

I am not going to engage in a debate with anyone. I don’t have the time or patience. We have debated similar topics before, and have pretty well covered it.
Re: Looking for a Source of Petrified (Agatized) Dino Bone
April 18, 2012 03:56PM
The material I purchased before was from a college prof. He found the materials and if museum specimen, it was identifed, cataloged, and kept for future study. If not identifiable or identifiable and not of proper quality, it was sold to help pay for collecting. The latter was the type I got. I understand your concerns.
Pete
Re: Looking for a Source of Petrified (Agatized) Dino Bone
April 18, 2012 06:34PM
San Juan Gems, Cortez, CO. They tons of the low-end for around $1/lb., and usually a small supply of the "gem grade", which goes for much more.
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