SiS: GORGEOUS 7" Orange and Black Petrified Tree Fern - PORCELAIN POLISH!

Description

This is a very high quality example of one of the most fascinating fossil trunks we work with in our shop.  This slab comes from the highest grade of tree fern logs that we were able to import over two decades ago.  This "white skin" variety is almost like porcelain it's so well agatized - it really polishes up nicely!  It's a gorgeous shape with amazing colors in a porcelain like agate that is harder than most tree fern specimens from this forest (by far!)  The polish we're able to achieve on this particular variety is simply a sight to behold and that it's shown off on a 1/4 billion year old fossil just makes it that much more amazing!   This is a nearly perfect specimen with just a single fine (and fully stabilized) fracture line in an otherwise complete, full cross section.  It's a magnificent display piece and the best you'll see at auction!
I've recently returned from what must be the greatest of all rockhounding adventures ever! I spent a week in Brazil, part of it in the new state of Tocantins. This is the area that is producing the fabulous petrified tree ferns we've seen in recent years. I was able to find some in the field, and hand select several choice logs that I'll be cutting and polishing for months to come. This particular round is one of the best preserved, gem grade specimens I've finished so far. The log produced these lovely pastel colored rounds with a very high agate content. The color is subtle, but gorgeous. The soft pastel shades range from pink to orange and yellow with sharp contrasting zones of black and white. I'm getting to know the material and these chalk white colored logs always seem to have the highest agate density. The polish is really amazing and it allows me to show off all the detail in the well preserved trunk. Without a doubt, one of the most interesting and beautiful stones I've ever seen from that part of the world and an exciting new twist for my own petrified wood collection.
These pre-historic plants weren't trees at all (technically) but they did grow to be quite tall and they left behind some of the best petrified "wood" you'll ever see. The fossils are reminiscent of petrified palm with a very interesting and unusual "heart". The outer portion of the round looks a lot like palm wood with little rice grain like patterns uniformly distributed around it. The interior section is made up of a larger, less dense pattern where the heart appears to be made up of thick macaroni or brain shaped patterns. The only thing that rivals the incredible detail in these ancient fossils is the colors that they're preserved in. Black, orange and white are typical of this particular log deposit - anything else is a bonus.
This particular piece is Tietea singularis. It's Permian which makes it about 1/4 of a Billion years old! Unbelievably well preserved for it's age to say the least. I've cut, lapped and polished these myself to produce real cabinet specimens worthy of a place in the finest petrified wood collection.
This is a complete and virtually flawless round. If the timeless mystery of this piece isn't enough for you, then I'm certain the simple, natural, gemmy beauty of it will be. The colors are exotic & rich, and the entire piece is completely preserved in a very high grade of agate. The high agate content allows this stone to be polished to a liquid perfect, lustrous finish that only the best grades of fossil wood can achieve. This one is about average for the size of the logs I found from this part of the deposit. All in all, this is a fine round from one of the most interesting locations you could hope to find.
This piece is one of the more typical of this variety that we cut.  It measures about 7" across the polished face and is cut  0.34" thick.  Weight is 0.56 lbs.
Stands sold separately.
Sticks-in-Stones Lapidary
is happy to work with you to save shipping costs. We will combine auction items, store items, or provide additional items from our shop to bring you the greatest possible value in fine lapidary & stone collectibles!