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Petrified wood?
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Posted by Kendal Zone 8 Puget Sound (My Page) on Thu, Sep 16, 04 at 15:19
| I'm not sure of this is the place for this, but I hope someone can help me. A client I am doing some work for, re-doing her mother’s garden where I live. Her mom passed over in Jan and her garden needs a lot of work. I get paid monthly with money, but I asked for a beautiful boulder as partial payment, which she gladly gave me. Someone told me it is petrified wood though. It is about 2 1/2' by 2 1/2' in size, and weights about 75 pounds. It has burrowed holes in it, and the coloring is from dark brown to cream colored, and many others in between. Where would one find out the value of this piece of rock/wood? Thank you for any help!
Kendal |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Petrified wood?
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| There might be a lapidary or mineral society in your area. Petrified wood should be easy to identify. EP |
RE: Petrified wood?
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| Petrified wood is very common. I have lots of pieces in our garden. Probably not much value other than as a curiosity. Just a hint. You don't want to coat rocks or fossils (such as petrified wood) with any permanent finish. To bring out a bit of character in the piece, wash it well and just rub on some mineral oil (or maybe furniture polish) with a rag. The oil eventually wears off or can be washed off. |
RE: Petrified wood?
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| I've been looking into prices and asking around, certain pieces and sizes/weight go from a few bucks to thousands of $. I wouldn't put anything on the rock, it's beautiful as is with bug burrows, also it has lichens, and moss growing on it. The rock weights about 50#. |
RE: Petrified wood?
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Given that you are on the coast, a thought has occurred to me... Was it originally picked up on the coast? Are the "burrowed holes" in it shipworm holes by any chance? Shipworms are actually a small clam that burrows into wood, leaving a pattern of subparallel burrows into the wood - the burrows are in the range of about 1/4" in diameter. As you can imagine, it was a bad thing to deal with in the days of wooden ships, but mostly its effects are just seen in driftwood... of which there is plenty in those parts from the logging industry.
Salt-water aged wood is a fairly common thing on the coast too - it is more dense, and thus heavier, than "fresh" wood. Just another thought...
Petrified wood has had near-to-total replacement of the wood fibres by silicon dioxide, that is, quartz. It has the appearance of rock, due to its crystalline or opaline appearance, and only resembles wood by the wood-grain structure that remains. Since it is no longer wood, but silica, it is very heavy. I doubt I could pick up a 2 1/2 foot diameter boulder. Yes, petrified wood would be easy to identify. If large parts of it are opalescent, and had good color, I suppose it might have some increased value to rock collectors. |
RE: Petrified wood?
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| I'll take a picture and post it at some point today. Even if it isn't worth anything it is a beautiful specimen! Kendal |
RE: Petrified wood?
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Arizona has a lot of PW. It is sold at rock places too. Just to give you an idea, a piece about the size of a typical loaf of bread was 20 to 30 bucks. It would weigh about like a gallon of water. Bigger pieces were over 50 bucks, I never priced anything huge, as this one sounds.
You'd pretty much have to have a buyer; a good rock shop might be interested.
If you ever get a chance to go to Quartsite,AZ in about January, your head will spin with all the rocks and folks who deal with them. It's not our thing, but it is intersting. I stick with plants.
My guess is you don't want to sell, but want an idea of value. Good luck,
Smiles,
D..... |
RE: Petrified wood?
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| we have lots and lots of small and medium pieces all over our garden... |
RE: Petrified wood?
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| Now that I have a digital camera I can upload pictures of my rock, so I ould appreciate any help finding it's identity. Thanks! 
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RE: Petrified wood?
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- Posted by botann z8 SEof Seattle (My Page) on
Tue, Oct 3, 06 at 17:18
| Just a guess. It looks like petrified wood from Gingko Petrified Forest in central Washington state. It could also be Aspen or Birch petrified wood from that same area. |
RE: Petrified wood?
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| Thanks botann, It's a great specimen,and I love it! |
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