A SLICE OF PETRIFIED OAK

A SLICE OF PETRIFIED OAK
UNITED STATES

Quercus sp. (50 cm in diameter), Miocene (circa 10 million years ago). A specimen of exceptional quality, presented on a brass stand.

Petrified wood (from the latin Petro, meaning stone, and thus literally meaning "wood turned to stone") is the result of a process in which organic materials transition to stone via mineralization. Petrified wood is distinct from other fossilized plants, which are typically impressions, as they are actually three-dimensional representations of the original material, in which cell walls are replicated by minerals, and in most cases, completely replaced by them. Each chemical transformation is unique, with each specimen having its own distinct coloration. The designs found in each piece of fossilized wood are a reflection of the size of the truck, environmental events occurring during the tree's lifetime, the location of the cut portion on the tree itself, as well as the polishing of the piece. This particular specimen has a polished face, while the periphery exhibits a well-preserved layer of rough bark. The specimen exhibits a rare harmony and balance of colors, which demonstrate the exceptional quality of petrified wood of American origin.

LITERATURE:
F.J. Daniels Petrified Wood. Western Colorado Publishing Company, 1998; Ulrich Dernbach, Petrified Forests. D'Oro, 1996, p. 25

PROVENANCE:
Ex Goodmann collection

Condition Report:
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