THE OLD POST IS STILL THERE IN THE ARCHIVES, TITLED (FOSSIL ELEPHANT TEETH) 8/27/2003 BY VANDOO. THE FOSSIL MAMMOTH AND MASTODON TEETH AS WELL AS ANCIENT BUFFALOW TEETH AROUND HERE HAVE A BLUE COLOR TO THE ENAMEL WITH BROWNS, BLACK AND YELLOWS TO THE OTHER PARTS. THE ONES FOUND IN FLORIDA IN THE PHOSPHATE MINES ARE SOLID BLACK. I AM NOT SURE WHICH MINERALS CAUSE ALL THE DIFFERENT COLORS, BUT REDS ARE USUALLY DUE TO A LOT OF IRON IN THE ENVIRONMENT. THE INSIDE OF THE FOSSIL WILL HAVE A NATURAL COLOR AND POLISHING IT OR COATING IT WITH A CLEAR FINISH WILL BRING OUT THE COLOR. THE ONES I SAW THEM WORKING ON WERE NOT DYED AS FAR AS I COULD TELL BUT THEY WERE NOT AS COLORFUL AS THE FINISHED ITEMS. THE PICTURE OF MY EXAMPLE SHOWS HOW DULL IT LOOKS IN ITS NATURAL STATE IT HAS AQUIRED A KIND OF PATINA ON THE OUTSIDE.
AS MENTIONED SOME FOSSILS ARE VERY COLORFUL WITH ALL THE COLORS OF THE RAINBOW BUT MOST ARE NOT VERY COLORFUL, IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF MINERALIZATION AND CRITTER.
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