Megalodon Shark Tooth Collector's Guide.

I am often asked what to look for when buying a tooth?

Since the Megalodon tooth is the most collected fossil, this guide includes information on what collectors look for when purchasing one. Collectors look for different things when shopping for teeth, including condition, size, price, restoration, shape, color and .

CONDITION!!!

The condition of the enamel, bourrelet, serrations, tip, and root will add or detract from the value of the tooth.

Enamel. Smooth enamel is an Important feature of Meg teeth. The enamel on the tooth on the left is peeled, while the tooth on the right has smooth enamel

Root A complete and perfect root separates a nice tooth from an exceptional tooth. This tooth has nubs on each side which is a rare feature in Megalodon Teeth.

The bourrelet is the thin triangular band of enamel between the blade and the root. Because the bourrelet is so thin, very few teeth have a full bourrelet

Serrations. One thing that amazes collectors is that millions of years later, these sharp and delicate serrations remain as sharp as the blade on a knife.

SIZE !!!

The size of a Megalodon tooth is measured I different ways. When people give the size of a tooth in inches, they are generally referring to the diagonal length of the tooth. Another important determination of the size of the tooth is its weight.

Diagonal Length

The diagonal length Is determined by measuring from the tip of the blade to the corner of the root. When someone tells you that they have a 5" tooth they are saying that the diagonal length of the longer size is 5". When purchasing a tooth, people usually would like to know the length of both sides of the tooth. This is why you usually see references to two lengths when people are selling a tooth. L1 is the length of the longer side and L2 is the length of the shorter tooth.

The white line in the picture represents the length of the longer side (L1) while the darker gray line represents the length of the shorter side (L2).

When purchasing a tooth be aware what the person describing the tooth used to measure it. The length cannot be accurately determined by using a ruler. A caliper measures lengths to 1/1000 of an inch. Some dealers give an approximate measurement. This is fine until you find that your 6" tooth is only 5.95". This may not seem like much of a difference, but it can sometimes mean that the tooth is not as valuable. The difference in value between a 5.95" tooth and a 6" tooth can easily be hundreds of dollars.

Always be suspicious when someone trying to sell a tooth tells you that a tooth is 5" or 5-1/2" exactly. This is a sign that they eyeballed the length with a ruler and it is probably not accurate. The tooth may measure 5.47", but they round it to 5-1/2" hoping to get more money than the tooth is worth.


We always measure with a caliper and show the exact measurement to 1/100 of an inch.

Appearances Can be Deceiving.   This tooth looks like it measures close to 5", but at 4.72" the actual measurement is less than 4-3/4".

Weight

 
Just looking at the length of a tooth is not enough. The weight of a tooth adds to its overall effect as much as the length does. Two teeth with the same diagonal length can have very different weights. Similarly, the weight of a tooth usually increases greatly with length. An average 5" tooth is not just an inch longer than an average 4" tooth. It can weigh more than twice as much as the 4" tooth. In addition, the value of similar teeth increases greatly with size.

Price!!!

The hardest thing about selling Meg teeth is determaning the price. Every tooth is different. Decide what you want in a tooth, look around and ask questions. It is hard to show what a tooth is really like in a few pictures. Call the seller on the phone and get their assessment of the tooth. See if it is what you really want. Don't settle for second best.

RESTORATION !!!

When looking for an investment grade tooth, be sure that the tooth has not been repaired, restored or altered. Again, ask the seller questions. Does he know the history of the tooth? Some people are artists and can make alterations that are virtually undetectable. They will add back peeled enamel, a missing root corner or a chipped off tip.These teeth are fine if you are looking for a $50 showpiece or an impressive inexpensive gift.

If you are looking for an investment grade tooth that will cost hundreds of dollars, or more, make sure it is unaltered. There are only two ways to be sure that you are getting an unaltered tooth. The first and most practical way is to get it from a trusted source. The only other way to be sure that your tooth has not been restored is to find it yourself.

SHAPE !!!

Some people prefer teeth that have a certain shape. Just like with human teeth, the shape of a shark tooth is determined by the tooth's jaw position. A tooth in the front of the jaw differs in shape from a tooth towards the back of the jaw. A tooth in the upper jaw differs in shape from a tooth in the lower jaw.

The Megalodon had hundreds of teeth in its massive mouth.There were up to four rows each of upper and lower teeth. These rows were stacked behind one another.When a shark shed a tooth, it had plenty of other teeth to assist it in eating. Each row could contain as many as 30 teeth at one time.

Upper Teeth. Teeth in the upper jaw are wider than lower teeth.

Lower Teeth. The lower teeth tend to be narrower than upper teeth.They have a dagger-like shape and the root has a deep V shape

Anterior teeth The teeth in the very front of the Meg's mouth are anterior teeth.These teeth are wider and longer and have a symmetrical shape. Many people collect anterior teeth because of their shape and size. Many of the larger teeth are anterior teeth.

The picture above shows part of a row of Megalodon teeth. A full row of teeth would not fit on this 64" stand.

COLOR !!!

Some people ask if you can determine the age of a tooth by the color. The answer is that you cannot. The sediment in which it was buried while fossilizing, not the age of the tooth, determines the tooth's color. As the tooth decayed, it absorbed the minerals around it which helped to determine the tooth's color.

The enamel can come in several colors. Some collectors prefer one color over another. The teeth above have brown, gray and black enamel.