This Liexiaspis is a rare and very well preserved trilobite from the Ordovician of China. The preservation of the shell is very good for the locality and shows many details which would be lost in the unfortunately too often very roughly executed commercial preparation.  

The preparation of these trilobites is not too difficult and can be done well with fine air abrasives. However, work must be done carefully and cautiously. Otherwise the surface of the shell will be damaged very fast, because the surface is often partly dissolved or brittle. After the first two millimeters, the rock becomes much harder and no longer seperates from the shell. From this point on, it is important to not work too roughly with airscribes  or needles, as the shell tends to chip.

Fossil: Liexiaspis zhengjiaensi

Locality: Liexi, Hunan (China)

Formation: Lower Ordovician, Tremadocian, Yinchufu Formation

Length of the trilobite: 5,7 cm (2.25 inches)

Work required: 5 hours