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THE GALLERY

FEATURING

POLISHED SPECIMEN PIECES

My apologies, but  these five pieces are not for sale at this point in time. I wanted to get your attention and let you know that there is some fine material out there even though I'm not quite ready to offer it. These do not even represent to the best of the best, but rather really nice pieces that will periodically become available.

For reference, the polished face on the top three pieces is 4"-6" at the maximum with a length (depth) of specimen at 3"-5". The lower left piece is approximately 1-1/2" thick, but the beautiful polished red band wraps around the specimen more than 8". The green crystal center (yes, this is actually dinosaur bone!) is 2-1/2" x 3".

The piece to the left is a weathered out bone with the hollow region filled with brightly colored river gravel.



The specimen pieces I offer are just that: shards, blocks, or fragments of dinosaur bone that someone, at some point in time, picked up in the high desert region of the Colorado Plateau. Some of this material is agatized, much of it is calcified. However; every piece (with the exception of the low-grade and sorted small material) is a piece I have found to be esthetically pleasing or interesting because of structure or color. I have sorted through tons of material and found these pieces, which I am now offering to you, to be the most unique.

As a reminder, it is illegal to collect vertebrate fossils on state or federal property (see the page on Bone Laws). My collection came from visiting the rock shops around the four-corners region (Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico) over and over for the past 35 years. In some cases, I purchased personal collections from the old-time rockhounds.

Not all of the material I offer would be considered museum quality. However, each piece is unique, distinctively dinosaur, and a fine addition to your collection.

I wish that I could tell you what each bone was, which beast it came from, and what the unique features are that are revealed by my carving, but unfortunately I am not qualified to do so.

For the serious collectors who are interested in the more expensive pieces,  I have linked these pieces to separate pages with additional photos and, in some cases, macro views.


BE SURE TO VIEW THE PHOTOS AT THEIR MAXIMUM MAGNIFICATION!



 Polished Specimen #264

       This specimen is a whole round rib. I'd say it was from a large beast, but that is relative since I have several ribs that are 3X this size.  This piece has an excellent display of the "rind" of the bone with trace deposits of the clay it was buried in at either end. The black/gray/white outer portion is nicely highlighted by the dark red center.
  
This was carved with a very gentle saddle shape (see explanation above) and finished with a high polish.  The polished face is 3-3/4" x 1-7/8" at maximum with a length of 3". Weight is 1 lb. 3 oz.

Follow the photo link to a dedicated page with photo gallery and purchase information.

Polished Specimen PS-11-17-13-J

This exceptional piece of spiderweb agatized dinosaur bone is rare indeed. Of the many hundreds of pounds of spiderweb material I have seen and worked with, only a few pieces can match this for beauty and quality. It has large pore size and a unique golden-brown coloration with numerous agate fortifications. To minimize the amount of material I had to cut out of this specimen in order to achieve a simply stunning shape, I have cut it in a saddle shape. The graceful carving is finished off with a rich, warm polish. The maximum dimensions of the polished face are 3-1/8" x 2" and the maximum thickness is 1-3/8". It weighs 7.2 ounces.

Follow the photo link to a dedicated page with photo gallery.


Polished Specimen #PS-11-17-13-K

This beautifully shaped and polished specimen piece has transitioned into a stunning work of art. It's fanciful carved face has an organic look and is suggestive of a free-flowing sea creature. The polished face is 5-1/4" x 1" at maximum with a length of 3-1/4". Weight is 6.8 oz.

Follow the photo link to a dedicated page with photo gallery and purchase information.


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Polished specimen pieces speak for themselves. If I saw something interesting enough in the specimen to polish it, I would hope that it would be evident to you as well!

FOLLOW THE PHOTO LINKS TO LARGER IMAGES!!!






PS-11-17-13-I
This specimen is a whole round segment from a small limb bone. The polished face is ≈ 2" x 2" and the width/thickness of the piece is ≈ 2". It weighs ≈ 8.4 ounces.







PS-11-17-13-F
This lovely specimen has been polished on both sides and displays a band of blue-red agate running through it. Both polished faces are  ≈ 3" x 1-1/4" and the maximum width/thickness of the piece is ≈ 3/4". It weighs 2.2 ounces.







PS-11-17-13-H
This is a great specimen that is polished on both ends. It has green, blue, and red agatized material embedded in a tan trebecular matrix. The polished faces are  ≈ 2-3/4" x 3/4" and the width/thickness of the piece is ≈ 2-1/2". It weighs 5.5 ounces.







PS-11-6-13-I
This is a piece I spent a little more time on to create a unique shape. There is a curved ridgeline through the middle of the polished portion. Due to the extreme contours, photographing this was difficult, but it is a pronounced, clean edge. The piece itself appears to be a whole-round portion of a rib.







PS-11-6-13-E
With the macro photography it was difficult to control the remarkable color variations in this piece , but the structural detail is accurate and magnificent. The true beauty of bone is in the micro-detail!!







PS-Jan-2014-A
Because of the interesting color differences between the two sides of this piece, 2 faces have been carved and polished. One face has a concave shape, the other face is slightly domed. One has a black matrix and the other a tan-gold matrix.

Both polished faces are ≈2" x 7/8". The width of the piece is 2". It weighs 3.2 ounces.







PS-Jan-2014-C
Jewelry-grade material with beautiful, rich red “cells” with a few blue/clear regions. The polished face is ≈3-1/4" x 1". The width is 3". It weighs 6.0 ounces.







PS-Jan-2014-G
This unique polished specimen piece has large, beautiful, blue fortified “cells” in a light brown matrix.  The polished face is ≈1-7/8" x 1". The length is 3". It weighs 5.8 ounces.







PS-Jan-2014-E
This striking specimen has bands of red agatization running through it and a beautiful red/yellow fortification in the polished face.  The polished face is ≈1-3/4" x 1-1/2". The width is 1-1/4". It weighs 4.9 ounces.











 

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