Scyphocrinites elegans
 Era:  Paleozoic
 Period: Upper Silurian (420 Ma)
 Origin: Boutschrafin, Erfoud (Morocco)
 Location:  31°23'49.7"N 4°08'43.7"W
 Measurements: 36.5 x 19.5 x2.2 cm  / 14.37" x 7.68" x 0.87"
 Weight:  2,538  kg  / 5,595  lb
 Description:  Magnificent plate of crinoids Scyphocrinites cf. elegans with a spectacular chalice in 3D. This piece has a preparation carried out by professional hands. We have been lucky enough to follow the process of searching for and cleaning this plate from the quarry near the town of Erfoud to its completion in the workshop several days later. The process of extracting these fossils is extremely complex and dangerous. This layer is 5 meters below the surface and the prospectors dug wells by hand. The orography of the terrain makes the use of excavators impossible. If you are lucky and there is a good layer at the end of the well, you can recover fragments between 5 and 15 cm thick and bring them to the surface to recompose them later in the workshop. Several days of work with precision tools and various chemicals such as caustic potash and acetic acid are necessary for this result.
 
You will find all the information regarding the search and cleaning process for this plaque, as well as photographs, in our entry Scyphocrinites elegans on the Blog: https://en.toptrilos.com/post/scyphocrinites-elegans-1 
 
This piece will travel insured in a safety package to arrive in perfect condition.