Prior to about 1999, fakery was ubiquitous and rampant among the Moroccan trilobites. Some were entirely manufactured from ceramics and polymer resins, and others were real in part, literally chipped out of the very hard limestone with hammer and nail, losing eyes and spines in the process. The missing parts were subsequently carved from the matrix. With the advent of modern preparatory equipment, completely authentic Moroccan trilobites are now available. Fakes still abound, however, so caution is warranted (see this fake trilobites information) -- generally avoid trilobites from Morocco where a liberal coat of paint has been applied, as this is not needed; or, if you like painted trilobites, then paint them yourself.

The change occurred when several U.S. importers enabled modern prep equipment to be available in Morocco, and insisted on quality and authenticity. Still the hammer and nail prepped bondo-bugs abound, and get dumped on e-bay and in various shops. Increasingly, the fakes are disappearing, as they become uneconomical. The Moroccan preparators can work for a fraction of minimum wage, live like princes, and crank out low-cost, beautiful trilobites. It is essentially cost-prohibitive to prep Moroccan trilobites in the U.S.