This is a particularly unique and unusual slab from a log found by a friend of mine near Holbrook, Arizona. This specimen sits at an unusual and interesting cross section between mineral and fossil. I've honestly never seen anything quite like it before and I've pondered whether it might actually be a bizarre stalactite but the exterior did indeed look very much like a fossilized log. The interior however shows crystal sprays from an unknown, translucent mineral crystal with very long needles. These pierce concentric rings that sure look like petrified wood, but could actually be something else such as the successive layers of a water deposited mineral. I'm honestly stumped (that's a petrified wood pun). But seriously, the stone is fascinating and I've seen it referred to as "feather wood" in the one instance I'd encountered it years ago. Rockhounds are notorious for misidentifying stones they find and that could be the case here. I've studied it closely under magnification and cannot make up my mind with certainty, but I think it looks like the fibers of a conifer and I can see what I think is the honeycomb structure in a couple of places but it's like the crystal grew through from the mineral replacement afterwards and distorted it. It's a lovely and unique natural phenomenon one way or another and it certainly isn't quite like anything else in my collection. It takes a pretty decent polish but not to the same high gloss that silica replacement does. We've achieved a nice finish that allows for the detail to be appreciated both in the crystal sprays and the concentric growth rings.
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 cross section slab is a wonderful example of the best lapidary work you'll find. It's been cut with a diamond saw and flat lapped on equipment I built myself to produce a beautiful polished surface unmatched by any of our many would-be imitators. The detail captured and revealed through the highly polished surface is just amazing. While the stone in this case is a bit softer and polishes to a less mirror like finish than the agate preserving most of our petrified wood specimens, it's still quite lovely and really interesting. It's a truly special find and we won't likely see it again so get a piece for your collection while it's available!
This is a very solid slab from the center of the log and measures about 13" x 10" across the polished face. It is cut approx 0.73" thick. Weight is about 5.60 lbs.
A nice, unique natural wonder collectible exclusively from Sticks-in-Stones Lapidary!
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 cross section slab is a wonderful example of the best lapidary work you'll find. It's been cut with a diamond saw and flat lapped on equipment I built myself to produce a beautiful polished surface unmatched by any of our many would-be imitators. The detail captured and revealed through the highly polished surface is just amazing. While the stone in this case is a bit softer and polishes to a less mirror like finish than the agate preserving most of our petrified wood specimens, it's still quite lovely and really interesting. It's a truly special find and we won't likely see it again so get a piece for your collection while it's available!
This is a very solid slab from the center of the log and measures about 13" x 10" across the polished face. It is cut approx 0.73" thick. Weight is about 5.60 lbs.
A nice, unique natural wonder collectible exclusively from Sticks-in-Stones Lapidary!