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November 9, 2025
Posting some new specimens over the next few days. ------ Check out Jim's new article about silicified cattails from Lonely Butte, California, published in the Nov-Dec issue of Rocks and Minerals magazine. I'm very proud of his diligence, research and resulting accomplishment on silicified cattails from this genus and locality. Beth Jim Mills and Beth Myers ------ Have you joined? The Friends of Fossil Forests is a group which encourages research and conservation, and connects professionals and amateurs interested in petrified forests. |
Welcome to Mills Geological quality identified petrified wood and plant fossils from around the globe |
our featured specimen
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Part cast/part wood forked limb (Incertae sedis) Laney Shale Member, Green River Formation, Eocene Blue Forest, Wyoming ** Wow! Chuck Eastman really scored with this great find – a fantastic forked limb that is a superb display specimen. The polished face shows the two axes of this fork - the primary limb with the wood petrified and the secondary limb with just a tiny bit of wood remaining, and then what was a cavity now filled with yellow calcite. Turn the specimen so that it sits on its polished face and it is exclusively agate cast (although the secondary limb's cavity is now empty and hollow). If you needed any more convincing, the exterior of this specimen has wonderful wood grain character (and Chuck's catalog label as well). If there is any problem with this piece it is answering the question "how should I display it? Should it emphasize the polished face, or the exterior character, or the ends of the fork?" We would suggest that the best option is one of those photon-powered turntables that can show all three aspects in succession whenever there is light to power the mechanism! That makes the whole world the best of all worlds. Imagine Chuck smiling smugly when this specimen goes to a dedicated collector with other spectacular specimens to complement it. It is so nice to see specimens such as this appreciated and preserved. 2.5” x 1.5"on the polished face; 3" maximum length $125 |
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Black Locust (Robinia zirkelii)
Tertiary Denio, Nevada ** Petrified wood from Denio (called "Denio Wood" by collectors and dealers in the last quarter of the 20th century) has become almost impossible to find on the market. The only times it appears seems are when old collections are being sold and that is exactly how this specimen was obtained - it is out of the Charles Eastman collection and still has his catalog number affixed (E-237). The wood from this locality was very distinctive - always black and usually with some orange/yellow/creamy white highlights and always with a bright white exterior. And, always with excellent preservation of woody fine structure. It was often sanded on the exterior of the limb (this one is not - it is natural, which is superior in our opinions) by dealers hoping to enhance the beauty even further. BONUS: the concave natural end of this limb shows some fantastic differential weathering and growth rings (see photo). What is NOT distinctive is the locality. And, for good reason. There are two place names called Denio in Nevada which are located well over 100 miles apart. One is the village of Denio on the Oregon border at Nevada State Highway 292. The other one is Denio Camp Springs, now called a "ghost town" with little remaining in the way of buildings but still it can be found on maps just off of Nevada State Highway 34 midway between Vya and Garlock. It was never actually a town; it is the remains of a cabin on land homesteaded by Billie Denio. Personally, I have searched unsuccessfully for the "Denio Wood" locality near both of these geographically named areas. I have talked with different people who were certain they knew the location - the tally included an equal number who KNEW it was near the village of Denio and those who KNEW it was near the Denio Camp Springs. It is noteworthy that none of the folks who KNEW the location had ever actually been there. The vast bulk of Denio Wood was dug by a dealer named Jeff Emmons in either the late 1970s or early 1980s. While I never met the gentleman, I did meet his son at Quartzsite in the early 1980s. He was one of the people who told me it was near the village of Denio but his directions were completely inaccurate and he also passed away soon after I met him so I was never able to clarify his directions. This limb is a Black Locust. The Latin name Robinia zirkelii is applied to all fossil Robinia in North America. It could be a long time before you see the next Denio Wood on the market so your collection should have one – and here is your chance. 1.5” diameter on polished face; limb section 3” long $145 |
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Limb Cast (Incertae sedis)
Tertiary
Wiggins Fork of the Wind River, near Dubois, Fremont County, Wyoming
** A wonderful limb with forked end from the Charles Eastman Collection. Wiggins is a really classic locality for fine preservation of character and it is easily recognizable by the distinctive olive-green mineralization of the exterior. Wiggins Fork has been a favorite collecting area for agate and agate casts for many decades. This has the favorite excellent woody bark character on the exterior. The ones with a forked end are particularly scarce. We love having these agate casts in our own collection - they offer a fine counterpoint to the anatomically preserved woods in our collection and we often enjoy displaying these distant and different preservation cousins alongside each other. Generally speaking, these limbs are covered by hot volcanic ash but their water content cools the surrounding ash enough to form a mold before the limb either incinerates or otherwise is consumed by fungus and bacterial action. The resulting mold is filled with silicon dioxide to form the cast which is harder than the ash and when the ash finally erodes away, it leaves these lovely limb casts free and clear. Aesthetics and a great story to tell. A really good combination.
½” diameter on narrow end face; approximately 1" diameter where the limb begins to fork. This limb section is 6” long $65
Tertiary
Wiggins Fork of the Wind River, near Dubois, Fremont County, Wyoming
** A wonderful limb with forked end from the Charles Eastman Collection. Wiggins is a really classic locality for fine preservation of character and it is easily recognizable by the distinctive olive-green mineralization of the exterior. Wiggins Fork has been a favorite collecting area for agate and agate casts for many decades. This has the favorite excellent woody bark character on the exterior. The ones with a forked end are particularly scarce. We love having these agate casts in our own collection - they offer a fine counterpoint to the anatomically preserved woods in our collection and we often enjoy displaying these distant and different preservation cousins alongside each other. Generally speaking, these limbs are covered by hot volcanic ash but their water content cools the surrounding ash enough to form a mold before the limb either incinerates or otherwise is consumed by fungus and bacterial action. The resulting mold is filled with silicon dioxide to form the cast which is harder than the ash and when the ash finally erodes away, it leaves these lovely limb casts free and clear. Aesthetics and a great story to tell. A really good combination.
½” diameter on narrow end face; approximately 1" diameter where the limb begins to fork. This limb section is 6” long $65