SummaryA method has been developed, using a silicon‐rubber‐based sealant, which allows 2–3‐mm‐thick specimens to be maintained in a protected fluid environment for a number of months, without risk of dehydration. Following this, the specimen can be retrieved, stained, embedded and sectioned further. For example, 2‐mm‐thick sections of fixed unstained bone are easily examined by means of epi‐illuminated polarized light and fluorescence microscopies using either conventional or confocal optics. The method could easily be extended to other tissues, for examp