Fossil Shell Polishing Tutorial

Join me taking a rock found on the beach and revealing a Miocene Era Fossil Shell inside! You'll see what tools and techniques you need as we go 'start to finish' polishing the beautiful Shell from millions of years ago.

[@Amberscape]

Wow! Firstly you have voice perfect for documentaries :D:)), secondly briliant! no way you got out that shell so perfectly! beautifull shell , awesome work!

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Thank you for the generous compliment on the voice. Maybe I can get a side-hustle going with Nat. Geo. lol. The other side hustle would be fossil prep, doing the shell is so much fun! You understand the thrill of uncovering those fossils! Thanks again for watching!

[@Amberscape]

@@OzoneFineArtVentures haha ye, its like christmass every time😁😁

[@TheRogueRockhound]

You have a natural narrator's voice, and All Hail Sintered!! Much shiny, very stages, many skillful, such Oregon. ^^ That is crazy, I had no idea you could keep them in tact w/o something like superglue; Must be pretty adroit. Great vid!

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Thank you! There are different fossil deposits of differing ages so some of them very well could fall apart whereas you get an eye for the ones that are golden. It's very much like the other hounding/finding, I'm sure I walk over the top of many lovely agates because I have my fossil goggles on, lol. 'Natural narrator's voice', that's very charitable of you! A long while ago I was a DJ on the radio but the Covid lockdown social restraints has my tongue totally tied! Thanks for the feedback, cheers!

[@shirleyrichards2514]

So many cool Thanks for sharing your polishing tools. I nevel thought of water with a dremal tool. Thanks for sharing ❤

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

You are so welcome, it turns out there are many ways to skin a ...shell, lol. Thanks for watching!

[@seajayballard2113]

Excellent tutorial video, Karen!! I love the extra info you give on the fossils, very good research, very effected tool!!

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Thank you, SeaJay! The research is fun and the natural progression of curiosity when encountering these amazing fossils. It's my pleasure to share!

[@Scoupe400]

🤦‍♂️ I picked one of these up and joked how it was tooth like and it would be cool if it were a tooth. But it was far fetched. So I threw it away. This was along the Jurassic coast of Isle of Wight. Finally good to see a video explaining the kit used.

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Wow, it would have been awesome if it were a tooth! It's so hard to know what you're seeing unless you've seen it before (making getting into it difficult!). Glad you enjoyed the video and found the explanation useful. Hope you get a chance to do some, cheers, and thanks for watching!

[@pinayinsklee]

Its like unboxing the amazing beauty inside a rock .

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Yes! That's totally what it feels like. It's so exciting every time and well worth the work that goes into it. Thank you for watching!

[@MrVibriocholerae]

loved the video, awesome!!!

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Glad you liked it!! Thank you for watching!

[@paigelee6321]

Very cool thank you 😊

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Thanks again, Paige!

[@kylaabegglen1275]

Such an excellent video. I'm sure besides being a bit stubborn that you've got to have a lot of patience too. So much work and it all paid off. That fossilized shell looks amazing!🤩 You never cease to amaze me with your talents. Thank you for sharing this Karen!✌🤠

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Thank you very much! I think that lapidary of any kind takes tons of patience and I have great respect for everyone that does it or wants to begin. The rewards are great! Thanks again for watching and your very generous comments!

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Tool List: Flex Shaft Rotary Tool (you can use any kind and even a hand held rotary tool but that can be brutal on your hand) Diamond Burs (helps to have some different shapes, sizes, and grits but that's not mandatory either) Nova Points/Grinding Stones/Sanding Drums and Disks (that's a mix and match list, again not mandatory) Polish Paste (the kind depends on the shine you want, diamond is best, but any polish compound will do) Buff Points and Wheels (or alternatives, I show you a few in the video) Safety Gear! Respirator/Mask and Safety Glasses/Goggles Work Station (this is messy business that I like to do outside but also do inside with containers for water and waterproofing of the area) ...a Fossil Shell, in a rock, or even free! You get to skip some of the steps and go straight to polish if you're so lucky. Let me know if you have any questions or tips to add!

[@MACorrupt]

Can you give us a link for the nova points that you use?

[@GeoRockNerd]

Wow that took a lot of patience and skill, but what a fantastic result! Great job!

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

I think you know that working like that sometimes can be such a great meditation. I would love to prepare fossils in a lab, it would be such a blast. I've got plenty to play with here, though, in my own lab/studio and I have some to share with you if you want to take a crack at it. Thanks for watching and I'll talk to you soon!

[@GeoRockNerd]

@@OzoneFineArtVentures Absolutely, it looks like a lot of fun to see the fossil born out of the concretion, must be quite satisfying! Would be fun to give it a try! Are the shells fragile?

[@RockHoundingAdventures]

Amazing tutorial, I LOVED how that came out. Great job 🔥🔥🔥

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Thank you! This is really a meditation, so deeply calming to do. You should try it, I think you'd be great at any kind of carving. Thanks for watching!

[@agateenchantmentrockwizard5969]

Great job Karen, now I have a guide as to what to do with all of the fossil treasures we found with you on our adventure last week. Great job on the video too!

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

@Agate Enchantment & Rock Wizardry You guys made out with so many treasures, you have plenty to play with! Definitely share if you end up uncovering some of the spiral shells! Thanks again for the great time on the beach and watching the video. Cheers!

[@agateenchantmentrockwizard5969]

@@OzoneFineArtVentures Thank You we're both so happy to have met you!

[@lanapatrick927]

This video is super helpful. I found a big fossilized scallop that seems to have been agatized. Now I can tackle it with more know how. Thanks!!

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Glad it was helpful! Hope you have great success with your prep. Let me know how it goes! Cheers and thanks for watching.

[@lanapatrick927]

Hi! So, I’ve been working at this monster for a minute and it’s going along, but on one side of the fossil, there’s a much larger bit of sandstone to get through. I’m afraid to go at it with a chisel, but Im hoping there’s a better way to get through the majority of the matrix before starting in with the rotary tool. Thanks for any advice you can send my way. 🪨

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

@@lanapatrick927 It sounds like you're making good headway with your fossil. It's super hard for me to know what to advise without seeing it. You're welcome to send me a picture on instagram or contact page on my website ozonefineart dot com. A lot of the excavation and prepping of fossils is experimental and exploratory so it sounds like you're going in the right direction. Hope that helps and feel free to send me a picture. Cheers!

[@2DEKAY]

Great tutorial video! Exactly what I wanted

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

So glad that this was just what you were looking for. Hope you are into a cool project and have a great outcome. Thanks for watching! Cheers!

[@kellyp8537]

Wonderful information! I have some sand dollar fossils I’ve found near Santa Cruz that I’d like to try to polish. I’ve never done anything like this before…your vid is very informative!

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Wow, I'd love to see those prepped! I don't know if they'd take a polish though. Proceed with caution with those fossils since they may lack a calcareous nacre like the shells have. Please share if you do end up trying one!

[@khengvuy3597]

Perfect for you from Nature

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Absolutely, these are so beautiful. Cheers!

[@OregonCoastAgates]

Really enjoyed this! Great job! I've got a few really nice bi-valve fossils from the central coast that I would like to try something like this on. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

It works well with the bi-valves as well. The matrix is a beast, though. Really the job for an air scribe more-so than a rotary tool...but you do with what ya got, right? Let me know if you have any questions and I hope you do some nice shells!

[@lyndaallan5902]

Awesome tutorial!! Thank you. I have a jar full of these from the Oregon Coast. I'll be giving this a try very soon. Please open the last large shell! Yes.

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Thank you @Lynda Allan ! Sounds like you have a jar full of fun. I'd love to see what you uncover when you give it a try. Let me know how it goes. Meanwhile, I was eyeballing that fossil yesterday as a matter of fact! I will be carving it soon. It's raining now, and since I like to carve outside, I'll be waiting until we dry out a bit.

[@gemstonejudy5900]

Great work!

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@paleocat6354]

This is amazing

[@amybavier]

Gorgeous!!!

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@invictusfarmer7188]

ok thats freakin cool.....

[@parenasjake6581]

I have a fossil it's like a bone coral eridescent if you put flashlight it is light inside

[@sandmaker]

Thanks for sharing the fun tutorial thanks for sharing.

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Thank you for watching! It's going to be fun to get back on the beach to find some more of these treasures. We're getting hammered by storms right now but that means some fun beach scores soon! Cheers!

[@sandmaker]

@@OzoneFineArtVentures good luck and hoping for a not sandy beach.

[@SunnyOnTheInside]

This is a great video thank you so much

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

@Ashley Globe Thank you for watching it and the great compliment. I'll be getting into that big shell soon, keep your eyes open!

[@sarahskillen8421]

These are amazing 😁 this gives me some motivation to try and get one of my shells out now 🤔

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Thank you! Be careful, the unveiling is very habit forming, lol! I'd love to see what you end up doing and I'm glad you're inspired to try one. Let me know if you have any questions!

[@susanmorseart4984]

Great tutorial. Very informative and the shells came out beautifully. I would try to polish the large one before it was cut though. Just my opinion.

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

I've been holding off on that big one. I think I feel like I need to find another one before I take any chances with that big, beautiful shell. But then I'm dying to see what's inside. I'll share what happens either way, you'll be among the first to know, lol!

[@carllewis166]

What are your suggestions on horn coral from Indiana? Ordovician age to polish it? crystallized inside and outside still has a shell? I have tools I prep tools that are in video. Retyped spell check changed what I type .

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Hey Carl, I haven't worked with that material so I'm not sure what I'd recommend (this approach may work) though it looks like it polishes up very nicely. It sounds like, since you have the tools, some experiments may be in order? If you have multiples that you wouldn't mind learning on and maybe failing on? If you try, let me know how it goes. Prepping trilobites sounds so fun, I'm jealous! Thanks for watching and good luck!

[@silverpassion3588]

Tks for your vid its really of great help. Some article I read they apply a layer of polyurethane lacquer. Would you recommend that to keep the shine longer? However some say polyurethane will make the shell turn yellow after some period of time. So also say use mineral oil apply over it. So I'm confused what shld we do after polishing to maintain the shine. Tks

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Hey, sorry I took so long to reply, been having a case of the ick going around. If one follows a polishing technique (like in the video) after the initial prep (bringing it out of the stone encasing), it will not need anything to remain glossy and beautiful. If you want to polish a stone/shell like this, you don't want to introduce oil or polyurethane. If you have more questions about polishing/getting that shine, I'd be happy to help. Cheers!

[@imethan-youtubetips1770]

Good tutorial. Thumbs up from a fellow creator 😅

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Thank you Ethan! I'm new at the video making so I really appreciate the feedback. Let me know if there's anything that I didn't cover there that you'd be interested in for a follow-up video.

[@bettamom7593]

How long do the nova points last? And if you want to see where ya missed, take a picture of it! That shows everything!

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Great tip! Yes, how often do we finish and go to take that picture only to see the scratches then. The Nova points have lasted me through bunches of projects. I'll say that you may go through your first set quickly if you're not careful about sharp edges or moving to the next stage prematurely and expecting the wrong grit to do too much. After a learning curve and some care, these guys will last you through heaps of gratifying polishes!

[@bettamom7593]

@@OzoneFineArtVentures Thank you. my rock art goes in so many different ways depending on what I find and do not mind investing in quality. I NEVER know what I will need and good grinding bits are a treasure to me!

[@Ken_G.]

I love when I subscribe to a new Maker and get all these videos to watch for the first time. Are any of the fossil shells out there UV reactive?

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Thanks, Ken! Some of the fossils shells here do glow! I showed a few when we had the Yooperlite guy, Erik, on the podcast. I am aspiring to get a nice torch (from him) so I can do a decent video on it. I also noticed that some of our central Oregon petrified woods glow fantastically (I imagine from the common opal within). Thanks again for watching, cheers!

[@droga_mleczna]

I guess rotary tool is OK if you know how your fossil looks, but otherwise air scribe or even simple electric engraver is better.

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Thank you @Marceli Ryszkowski I acknowledged in the video that there are better tools. I'd love to get a scribe, it's on my wish list for sure. Thanks for watching!

[@jimboyelorde3832]

I have kind shell that develop to crystal looks like diamond. I want to know exactly what is it.?

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Sounds like you have a shell with druzy inside. The druzy could be quartz or calcite or a number of other minerals. You might try a search online for fossil shells with druzy. Thanks for watching!

[@houseoftiedyez9496]

I’ve got a black shell with rock on still that I’ve not managed to fully get off. What would you recommend to use?

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

It's hard to know how to get the material off without knowing what it is. There are different methods due to the kind of 'matrix'. I used a rotary tool on this, of course there's the air scribe that is commonly used to 'prep' fossils. Some material is soft enough to be able to just 'pick' off with a sharp metal tool (like a jewelers solder pick). I'd be happy to help more if you can describe the material and whether your shell is a fossil or not. Thanks for watching, cheers!

[@anitavisram8346]

Do you make jewellery from the follilised shells?

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Hi Anita, I do but only for gifts and I set them as custom pieces for folks that find their own as well. The fossil shells are protected here in Oregon, thankfully. You can find them for yourself, and to gift, but not for commercial purposes. I think that's a great way to make sure too many don't get taken and they don't get taken advantage of. Thanks for watching!

[@kaitlynn1402]

I know this video is a bit old, but how did you make the drip bucket? Thanks!

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Hi Kaitlynn, sorry it took me a bit to get back to you here. I use a drip bucket that I got from Hi-Tech Diamond (link is in the description of some of my newer videos) with my flat lap. You can create one with parts you can get online or from some places like Ace Hardware. The ones at Hi-Tech aren't that expensive and are super valuable to me so that I can do this type of work anywhere. Hope that helps, if you need more info, let me know!

[@kaitlynn1402]

@@OzoneFineArtVentures No worries! Thank you for the info!

[@shereejankowski7531]

what do you do with the sand inside the shell? apply something to harden it and leave it in place?

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Hi Sheree, the fossils that we have here on the central coast have sedimentary sand that has become rock inside the sand. That's why it can take a polish as well. It's roughly 15 million years old, give or take a million! So it stays put without any help to harden it, time did a good job of that. Do you have a fossil shell that is hollow?

[@WhysdaRumgone]

@@OzoneFineArtVentures i have some clam fossils that the sand in the middle is not completely hard. I found several orange ( some other colors) Oregon coast, not sure what they are. Not agates but not quite solid as jasper either. Some are shaped as if they formed inside clams.

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

@@WhysdaRumgone Excellent point. Some of the fossils are from different timespans and will have different 'filling'. The ones I was referring to are from the Astoria formation but as you travel up and down the coast, you get differing ages and 'quality' of fossilization. We have some fossils here that are brittle and break very easily and their matrix material isn't near as hard as what is shown in the video. The orange 'filling' that you're finding in the clams is probably calcite. Sometimes the shell and matrix erodes away from what fills the clam (be it calcite, quartz, or agate) and leaves the mold. They are called clam bellies around here and it's always fun to find one! Thank you for your comments and for watching!

[@user-xp1ix4pg7c]

Was this in seaside Oregon?

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

The fossils were mostly from the Central Coast near Newport. Thank you for watching!

[@dr.shaman]

whats the name of the paste cover that protect the fosile at the end?

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

The paste at the end is just jewelry polish or diamond paste. If you polish the shell properly, it will shine without needing 'protection'. The jewelry polishes may sometimes contain an anti-oxidation agent but the act of polishing the shell will preserve and protect it for a lifetime using the diamond paste or jewelry polish (again, if done properly). Let me know if you have any more questions and thanks for watching!

[@dr.shaman]

@@OzoneFineArtVentures thank u so much , i been collecting fossiles since iama kid, but just a few days ago am learning to make the look better and do restauration. Even though most of my fossiles are mostly found at the beach so most of the time there is no need for carving lime stone

[@MACorrupt]

I found it.

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

They're like magic, it would be hard to do what I do without them. The fossil shell is fairly soft material so it should be a good tutorial for your softer materials as well. They're marvelous on Sunstone, Obsidian, Opal, Agate....you name it, lol.

[@MACorrupt]

@@OzoneFineArtVentures are Nova bits made of Rubber? Different colors have different abrasiveness?

[@brendachew3769]

we've already got tons of shell like that, but we've not got ANY fossils .why didn't you just keep the fossils???

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Hi Brenda, I don't think I understand the question?

[@brendachew3769]

why not keep them as fossils. you might never see another. then you can use your imagination to think about what's inside

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

@@brendachew3769 I get what you're saying now and see your point. These shell fossils are not terribly rare. In fact, we find them on the beach so much, we usually leave them be. They slowly become sand in the surf to repeat the cycle. On the other hand, if I take the Bryozoan layer and matrix away, we might find a shell that was previously unknown of. At the very least, we can see the beauty of the original shell, for the first time in millions of years, and it's still a fossil. We may even be able to identify which one. So that's both sides of the coin; more than many remain fossils and a few get prepped. Thanks again for watching and I hope that clears up why we did it. Cheers!

[@destravlr]

Kill background noise.

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

Yes, Glen, I agree with you 100% about the noise levels. I have been working on audio with a different program lately. Unfortunately, I can't go back and change that video. Happily, we live, learn and move forward! Better videos to come, thanks for watching.

[@liedebunker1253]

I thought ZOIC air scribes were the right tools for this.

[@OzoneFineArtVentures]

You are absolutely right! And air scribe is definitely the way to go with our matrix and larger specimens. I don't have one at the moment (they're pretty spendy), and rotary tools are one way to go about it for the general public, so thus the video. It can be done this way as well with smaller bone and fossil specimens, it's just not as nice as using the right tool (air scribe). Thanks for watching, cheers!