EONS: 673 GENUINE DINOSAUR EGG, CITIPATI, CHOICE+

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EONS: 673 GENUINE DINOSAUR EGG, CITIPATI, CHOICE+ QUALITY CONDITION REPORT: RESTORATION: none anyw in any amount SHELL TEXTURE (w 5 is best): 4.5 PALEO LAB PREPARATION TIME: 3.5 hours PRESERVATIVE: removable archival grade B72 which gives the specimen a matte sheen COMMENT: No shell was added, moved, enhanced, restored or altered in any way. Exactly as we uncovered it, is exactly as you see it Some of the missing eggshell is probably deeper within the egg and can be confirmed with a CT scan. The color variation throughout the specimen is 100% natural (probably due to ground water flow over tens of millions of years) but can be made more uniform by the application of dye. However, we frown on the practice and so weâe(tm)ve not used any. My photos are disappointing when compared to the actual specimen and so you will be even MORE delighted when you hold it in your hand. Citipatis are more than twice as massive as Oviraptors, and so are their eggs âe" which are rarer than Oviraptor eggs. This particular specimen has not been x-rayed and so it may contain undetected embryonic bones. EGG DIMENSIONS: 7.25 inches long WEIGHT: 2.25 net / 4.75 pounds shipping AUCTION VALUE: $1,500 - $2,000 RANKING: This is a CHOICE+ grade specimen when compared to my other oviraptor eggs and judged by these eight characteristics: shape, size, shell coverage, damage (if any), repairs (if any), shell texture, pleasingness to the eye, and whether it has been lab prepared. Using that ranking criteria, I then use one of the following descriptors in my auction title: AFFORDABLE -- Collector grade, 25% of my specimens, estimated auction price: $200 ~ $300 per egg CHOICE -- Best value grade (lower tier), 40% of my specimens, estimated auction price: $300 ~ $400 per egg CHOICE+ -- Best value grade (upper tier), 33% of my specimens, estimated auction price: $400 ~ $600 per egg PREMIUM -- Advanced collector grade, 1.5% of my specimens, estimated auction price: $600 ~ $900 per egg MUSEUM -- Very best grade, 0.5% of my specimens, estimated auction price: $900 ~ $1800 per egg Explanation of ranking criteria: Shape: the degree of distortion from the original capsule shape, however all fossil eggs are distorted to some degree due to the compression of covering rock for millions of years Size: most Oviraptoid eggs are 5.5 ~ 6.5 inches in length; eggs that are larger than that are more valuable because they are much less common Shell coverage: degree of visible shell present vs. bald spots Damage: degree to which geological forces have altered the original appearance of the egg; also includes extraction damage Repairs: nearly all larger and rarer fossils have been repaired; this does not detract from value if they are done well Shell texture: the degree of desirable âeoeridge & pebbleâe texture (called ornamentation) still present; this can be lost if the egg is improperly prepared Pleasingness to the eye: a subjective criteria that gauges the overall showiness of the specimen Lab preparation: about half the eggs that I offer will be laboratory prepared (for a minimum of four hours) using the finest tools, the gentlest abrasives, and the latest museum-advocated techniques. Due to the labor and tooling expense, prepared eggs cost at least $100 more than a comparable none-prepared specimen. A prepared egg will have a naturally occurring charcoal gray color which in unprepared eggs is hidden by light-gray calcite and/or reddish sandstone matrix. GENERAL DESCRIPTION: All of the following text in this section is verbatim from Wikipeida : Citipati is a genus of oviraptorid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period of what is now Mongolia (specifically, the Djadokhta Formation of Ukhaa Tolgod, in the Gobi Desert). It is one of the best-known oviraptorids, thanks to a number of well-preserved skeletons, including several specimens found in brooding positions atop nests of eggs. These nesting ... read more

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