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This is a seldom seen petrified wood variety from Northern Arizona. It is found in the Chinle formation and represents some of the best preserved logs in terms of external wood structure that are found in that part of the world. There is a great deal of barite in this wood which does not preserve internal structure as well as agate does, but it still takes a reasonable polish and the macro structure of rays leading to the spine scars on the rind are easily visible. The spine scars themselves are well defined and easily spotted on the rind of this specimen. This is a relatively rare piece and a nice example of a species not seen as often in this part of the world. The polish we achieve is better than many expect for this type of petrified wood fossil. A truly unique specimen guaranteed to enhance any collection! I have only seen maybe a half dozen of the logs from the Northern Arizona deposit that produced this one in all my years of rockhounding. Most are kept whole, but a few are solid enough to allow for nice slabbed specimens. The wood does not polish to the same degree that the highly agatized wood found in the northwest or further south in Arizona does, but it still makes a fine specimen worthy of display in a serious petrified wood collection. The colors are earthy and resemble the desert patina found on stones in the region with subtle dark rusty reds, golds and blacks. Woodworthia is easily recognized by the spine scars that dot the trunk (easily visible in the perfect rind on the perimeter of this slab) and the strong bold rays (sometimes called spike knots) that lead up to the spine scars. It's a dramatic fossil that is fascinating to study and easy on the eyes to simply gaze at. If you're new to our shop the one thing you should expect is to see an unexpectedly glossy finish on each stone we prepare. This complete round is a wonderful example of our work. It's been cut with a diamond saw and flat lapped on equipment I built myself to produce a mirror perfect polish unmatched by any of our many would-be imitators. The detail captured and revealed through the highly polished surface is just immaculate in most wood, slightly less dramatic in this variety. It's easily some of the most interesting wood to be found anywhere and we've prepared it to be all that it can be! It's a truly special find and we won't likely have a lot more so get a piece for your collection while it's available!This is a slab from the center of the log and measures about 11 3/4" x 6 3/8" across the polished face and is cut approx 0.41" thick. Weight is 2.32 lbs.
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