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This is a virtually perfect, thick cut slab from one of the most unusual and uniquely gorgeous logs I've ever cut from this fossil forest. I know you've seen over-saturated photos all over the web that only disappointed when you saw a dull, colorless rock arrive in the mail, but I assure you this is a VERY accurate picture of an unusually colored, darker shaded round from Madagascar with a truly mirror finish! Among the many logs I imported from Madagascar after a trip there before the pandemic was a strange, lumpy, knotted looking log with a skin that was very distinct from any other petrified log I'd seen in a lot that spanned many, many tons of stone. It took me years to cut it and when I saw the first slice come off the saw I was shocked. The dark skin on this log actually appears to be fossil bark (rarely seen in petrified wood) and the black color carried into the interior to produce one of the more dramatic specimens I've seen from this massive deposit. I suspect the log was dug somewhere other than where the logs with the more typical cream colored rinds are being excavated and the countless small fortification agate patterns laced throughout the wood only seem to confirm that hypothesis. This is a medium sized, unusual and beautiful round cut from the center of a choice petrified wood log from Madagascar! We have all seen the bland, lifeless specimens from this remote island nation that are dully finished and sold cheap, but you haven't really seen what the other side of the world can produce until you've seen one of the premium grade specimens we've prepared in our shop with a mirror finish unmatched by any petrified wood you've ever seen before! The other surprise with this piece is the structure of the wood. It's not just colorful, it's finely preserved! The central area of the slab is a mixture of a charcoal shades that preserved the wood grain right down to the cell structure while the black ring framing the entire log appears to be fossil bark. It's a really beautiful piece and if you haven't seen our polish work before then you're really in for a treat on this one! Polished to a mirror finish, this is a great piece to study, admire and enjoy! We purchased some new logs a few years ago from a new miner at the wholesale shows and I'm really excited by the wonderful color in these nicely preserved specimens! The color variations preserved in the wood grain are unmatched by any log I've cut from this forest and that starburst wood grain looks like a celestial wonder! This gorgeous, absolutely choice petrified wood round is the latest in a series of really nice, very colorful rounds that we've cut from some nice, larger logs we obtained this year in Tucson. I met a new miner this year that brought some petrified logs in from this distant island nation and what he had was by far the best I'd seen in many, many years. Very nice, brilliantly colored logs hand selected for wood structure and eye appeal. I bought several and couldn't wait to start cutting. This log is the first in the series and the color really is remarkable! A couple of years later I followed up on the original purchase in a major way - I actually traveled all the way to Madagascar (30 hours one way on a plane - see what I do for you?!) and selected several more premium logs to work with in the shop. It took the better part of a year to complete the purchase and get the logs shipped here but it's been worth it. They'll keep me busy for years, but you can bet I'm cutting the ones that show the most promise first and this is one of them! In this case, I cut a medium to smaller sized, short log to produce some of the nicest Madagascar rounds you'll see! Since I'm the one that cut it, I was able to apply some of the craftsmanship I've learned over the years to avoid problems with flaked out fracture lines that are common in the imported specimens. I've also polished it to a much higher quality lustre than you find on the imported varieties. Even if you already have Madagascar wood in your collection, you owe it to yourself to see how nice these ancient treasures can be when properly prepared! This wood takes an extreme polish that looks just fabulous. It has a ton of detail and some of the nicest colors I've ever seen in petrified wood (and considering what we usually have on hand this is saying a lot). The colors revealed in this Araucaria log all swirled with other natural tones that preserved the fibrous wood cell structure from this ancient tree fossil very well. The heart is clearly visible and the structure is finely detailed under magnification. It's a striking Madagascar wood round sure to enhance any collection! . It's just amazing how beautiful petrified wood can be and this fine specimen found halfway around the world shows to what lengths people will go to bring these treasures to market! If you don't own a top grade piece form this increasingly important deposit yet in your own collection, this is your chance. This is a perfect round cut from the center of a nice sized log. This stone has been professionally polished on a special lap that produces a flat face and a mirror perfect shine. The polish really is liquid perfect - a difference in the quality products Sticks-in-Stones has built its reputation on! It measures about 8 1/4" x 6 1/2" across the mirror polished face. It's cut about 0.64" thick. Weight is 2.26 lbs. Sticks-in-Stones Lapidary is happily providing UPS shipping to greatly reduce shipping charges on large rock orders. We will combine auction items or provide additional items from our shop to bring you the greatest possible value in fine Lapidary & stone collectibles! |
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