A label is
a beginning.

My first labels were enthusiastic and almost useless. “Nice fossil, Saturday” does very little to help when there have been several Saturdays and a whole drawer of nice fossils.

Write while the memory is fresh

Now I make a plain record before the specimen finds a permanent place. I note where it came from, the date, and any detail that might separate it from a similar-looking piece. An old envelope can be as important as the neat new label, so I keep those records together. The handwriting may be untidy, but it belongs to the moment when I still remembered why the object mattered.

Draw the edge, not the drama

I begin a sketch with the outline and a few clear marks. My early drawings had dramatic shadows and very little useful information. A plain line now tells me more: where a ridge ends, where the rock breaks, and which part of a shape I am guessing at. The ammonite fragment is a good example. Its missing centre stays missing on the page.

Keep the question mark

If I cannot identify a piece confidently, I give it a descriptive label and leave space for a later note. I would rather have a drawer of honest questions than one tidy list of doubtful answers. Comparing the specimen with a reliable reference is a pleasure in its own right; the cabinet does not need to be finished before it becomes interesting.