Email me with a detailed description of your specimen, including the exact dimensions and pictures from as many angles as possible.
In your email, describe what you want me to do to the specimen. Or, in other words, how much work would you like me to do? How would you like it prepared and presented? Removed entirely from the rock, pedestalled on the matrix, brought out in high relief, etc.
Include in your email all the necessary contact information for me to deliver important updates and return your specimen to you once the job is done!
Once I have all the information I need, I will give you an initial estimate of how long the project will take and how much it will cost, this will likely be an overestimate, as I would prefer my clients be pleasantly surprised when the job costs less than they expected, as opposed to the alternative.
Fossil preparation is sometimes unpredictable and can depend greatly on factors such as the quality of preservation, the makeup of the matrix containing the specimen, and the level of care with which the specimen was collected by the one who discovered it. I will not know for sure how long a job might take until I can spend a small amount of time with the specimen. Once I have your specimen in hand, I will have a better idea of how long it will take to prepare, and how much it will cost, at which point I will give you a revised estimate that will likely be far more accurate.
After this stage, if a project looks like it'll take longer than expected, I will contact you first and request your go-ahead to preform further work.
I charge $35.00 an hour, and typically work between 4-6 hours per day (excluding weekends)
I cannot prepare specimens larger than the dimensions of the chamber of my air-abrasive micro blaster. Rough dimensions are two feet wide, one foot deep and one-half foot high. Anything larger than this must be able to be prepared in small pieces that can then be reconstructed.
As the preparation process progresses, I will occasionally send you image updates via email at notable milestones.
Once the preparation of your fossil is complete, I will ship your specimen back to you AFTER payment is received. This is to protect me against the possibility of unreasonable clients.
If you are unsure about the identity of your specimen but do have knowledge of exactly where it comes from, I will endeavor to conduct as much research as I can to identify the fossil and share my findings with you. This service is provided free of charge!