Our featured specimen

​Bald Cypress (Taxodium sp.)
Columbia Basalts Group, Miocene
Rattlesnake Hills, Washington
** So just what makes this specimen unusual enough to qualify for our “featured” spot?  The Rattlesnake Hills, which run east to west on the boundary of Yakima and Benton Counties, Washington, has many different petrified wood localities.  One of the more unusual is the occurrence of bald cypress with these odd, teardrop shaped cavities that seem to emanate from central points and form sunbursts around individual growth centers.  For decades there have been rockhounds who called these oddities Bald Cypress knees - the unusual ancillary growths that often surround the trunk of this species of Taxodium.  However, if you have ever sawed into a "knee" of bald cypress, you would be disappointed to find no structures similar to these cracks so the explanation must be something different.  A review of the literature reveals that it is actually a fungal attack whose common name is pecky cypress rot (sometimes called pecky sinker cypress rot).  Modern bald cypress trees are impacted by a fungus called Stereum taxodii which produces the pecky rot, of which the Miocene variety is likely an ancient ancestor.  Studies have determined that the fungus enters the tree through the crown and attacking the heartwood and working its way downward through the trunk.  So-called "overmature" (senescent) trees seem to be more prone to this fungus than younger, more healthy ones.  This kind of feature contributes to outstanding patterning in both modern boards and in slabs of petrified wood to make them excellent display material.  If you already have a slab of this great wood from this locality, it may be time to upgrade or add an additional specimen!  This one is out of an old collection and is cut thick, the old fashioned way.
  
Bald cypress occurs mainly along riparian wetlands subject to periodic flooding by silt-rich "brownwater" rivers.  The "knees" are often seen growing out of the water next to the trunk (also underwater).  In the mid 20th century the souvenir shops in Florida were often filled with products made from cypress knees - lamps, clock faces, art sculptures, vases, Christmas tree Santa ornaments and "doo-dads" of all imaginable types.  Just Google cypress knees on eBay and see what oddities were made from them.  Then Google pecky cypress rot to see examples of modern day boards and logs.  What a great story to accompany this great piece.
7” x 6.5” on the polished face;  1” thick slab   $189

​Conifer  (Pinales Order)
Miocene
Congleton Hollow, South Fork Crooked River, Oregon
** This could have been one of those limb casts for which Congleton Hollow is understandably so famous but instead, nearly all of the wood survived and the agate ended up filling one large and several small cavities plus encircling the log with a lovely translucent periphery.  We have occasionally seen part casts/part petrifications from this legendary site but this one is by far the most complete specimen in that category that we have ever seen.  There is even a patch of green moss agate at the six o'clock position in our photo.  Somehow the hot volcanic ash burned its way into this cavity of the log so that it was left empty to allow for eventual filling by the agate.  What a fantastic specimen!  It has excellent display aesthetics (and green!) in addition to the unique story that it tells. 
6.5" x 5" on polished face; end cut varies from 1 3/4" to 1 3/8"  $159

Conifer (Pinales Order)
Tertiary
Austin, Oregon
** Unique locality specimens of conifer!  The general locality is  "Austin, Oregon."  Since we were unable to pinpoint the exact location where this log was excavated, we can't assign more than a general age of Tertiary to it.  But we are confident in the provenance of Austin.  The vicinity of Austin has some quite complex Tertiary geology.  There are Eocene outcrops of the Clarno Formation and Miocene outcrops of river deposited volcanic sediments which lasted into the early Pliocene.  Since we have never seen any other wood from Austin and the literature is silent on fossil wood from the area, we can safely assume that it was likely only a single log or two that could be found, and whatever was there was totally harvested.  This material came out of an old collection and we don't expect to see any more of it in the future.  So, we will simply settle for the beauty of the piece, with its color and pattern being particularly stunning.

​There are two choices of this great specimen
Specimen 1 above -- a wonderfully brecciated partial round with pathways of white and clear chalcedony that accentuate the darker decaying bits of wood. 
8" x 7.5" on brecciated wood polished face; 7/16" thick slab  $300

Specimen 2 above -- a full round with a swirling two-tone pattern.  
​6.5" x 6" with two-tone polished face; 7/16" thick slab  $275

Choose one or both - you may likely never see another chance to score a specimen from this unique locality.  (Each specimen qualifies for our 10% discount on orders totaling $200 or more.)

​Maple (Acer sp.)
Middle to Late Miocene aged silicic ash flow tuffs
Duck Flat, Washoe County, Nevada
** A totally new find!  This charming log comes from ash flow tuffs determined by the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology to fall in the range of 17 to 6 million years old.   Northern Nevada was very volcanically active during the entire Cenozoic, so geologists have gone to considerable effort to map and date all of the intrusive and extrusive igneous lithography throughout the state.  Maple is also one of the genera that is included in the study of Upper Cedarville Flora which is only a few miles north of Duck Valley.  Check out our photomicrograph and notice how much the medullary rays deformed when they must have been waterlogged and then subjected to enormous pressures from tons of volcanic ash being dumped upon the log.  This is a great piece for the microscope enthusiast as well as the collector concentrating on aesthetic appeal and representative localities.
4.5” x 5" in diameter on polished face; 5/8" thick slab  $45

Undetermined dicot angiosperm wood (Incertae sedis)
Little Butte Formation, Mehama volcanics unit, Oligocene
Rock Hill Drive, Lebanon, Linn County, Oregon
** Here's a new find from a construction project on Rock Hill Drive in Lebanon.  It is the same Linn County petrified forest, but completely different mineralization than other areas in the county.  This log was dead and down - very few patches of wood anatomical structure remain but the pattern created by the rot and compression is extraordinary.  Almost no fossil wood has ever been found in Lebanon since it is further out in the Willamette Valley than most of the rest of the county.  The town is on the edge of the Mehama Volcanics unit and the unit at that point is buried under the valley floor alluvium, so it is not generally accessible.  If you are a locality collector aiming to add as many different localities as possible to your collection, this may be your one-time opportunity to add Lebanon.  
7.5" x 5.5" on polished face; 7/16" thick slab   $78

​Pine with pocket rot (Pinus sp.)
Little Butte Formation, Mehama Volcanics unit, Oligocene
McQueen Ranch, Sweet Home area, Linn County, Oregon
**  The McQueen Ranch has not produced petrified wood for quite a long time, but a recent logging operation and the attendant soil disruption has produced some really nice specimens and we think we got some of the best!  If you have been following our website during the past year you have already seen what interesting and beautiful specimens that the logging operation uncovered.  The lapidary that obtained nearly all of the logs and limbs continues to produce really neat pieces like this one, which is different!  The McQueen ranch is directly across the road from the famed Holleywood Ranch which has consistently produced enormous amounts of petrified wood, but the two neighboring sites could not be more different in mineralization.  As a matter of fact, the mineralization diversity at the McQueen site is simply remarkable. 
​This specimen is the core of an ancient pine tree which was attacked by pocket rot fungus producing the polka dot pattern.  There is enough well preserved structure on the surviving portion of the growth outside of the core to determine that it was a pine (see our photomicrograph to the right).  When the logging operation is complete and the trees begin to regrow, there won't be any more petrified wood discovered for a considerable period of time.  So, if you like the striking patterns produced by this lovely material we suggest you acquire a specimen for your own collection before it is all gone - we did!
5" x 6" on polished face; end cut varying from 3.5" to 5"  $130

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​Black locust with pocket rot (Robinia sp.)
Trout Creek Formation    Miocene
Private Ranch near McDermitt, Oregon/Nevada border
** A very successful dig on the private portion of Zimmermann Ranch in 2019 uncovered a trove of excellent and diverse fossil woods and we think we got some of the best ones!  This dig was by a member of the Zimmermann family on the land owned by the family - we note that public Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands adjacent to the family ranch have long been excavated by rockhounds and simply referred to as Zimmermann Ranch even though the actual land is public domain.  The fossil record seems to indicate that the genus Robinia may have originated in North America and has been here since at least the Oligocene.  However, the fact that it is fast growing, very dense and exceptionally durable, has made it a plantation species that is now planted in rows throughout Europe and parts of Asia, since it is fast growing it can be harvested early.  The durability of black locust is an interesting factor in the slab we are presenting here; durability means resistance to fungus rot and bacterial destruction, yet our slab has plenty of pocket rot, especially at the center of the heartwood.  Over the years we have seen a lot of this genus from McDermitt but very little of it had pocket rot fungus.  AND, that which we have seen in the past was not exceptionally attractive like this one!  If unique and aesthetic qualities are part of your collecting strategy, then this is a must have for you.
4” x 4" on the polished face; 3/8” thick slab   $45

Conifer wood in Stromatolitic Algae
"Tonopah Wood"
Miocene
Tonopah, Nevada
** An exceptional example of “Tonopah Wood” with incredible patterning and our favorite combination of color for the algae in "Tonopah Wood" - salmon pink and bronze. Old-timer rockhounds called these attractive specimens by that name. The wood was under water and encased in stromatolitic algae prior to the volcanic event that filled the water body with ash and began the petrification process.  The mineralization of the algae in this specimen has the very desirable reddish orange and bronze coloration.  The wood itself was the center of the polished face.  Much of it has been macerated and no longer can be recognized as wood.  However, the dark brown region does still retain hints of the characteristics we look for in petrified wood.  Like all of the specimens we have ever seen from this locality, there is enough tracheid remnant to determine that it was a conifer.  Maceration makes sense because the wood must have been under water for a long time for the large colonies of stromatolitic algae to grow.  As a result, the specimens from Tonopah are generally valued more for their aesthetic appeal than for their wood anatomy.  If you are also an algae enthusiast, the differentiation of mineralization (color) and form (some wide bands and some very narrow) make this an even more interesting specimen.  The implication of these differences is that there were some substantial changes in the water chemistry and habitat during the growth of the algae over time.  Most of the Tonopah Wood is pretty; this is exceptionally so.  
5.5" x 3.5" on polished face; 3/4" thick slab   $65

Primitive Conifer (Araucarioxylon arizonicum)
Chinle Formation, Triassic
Twenty-Two Draw,  Arizona
** Great things about this piece?  Well to start, there is the lively name of the locality -- Twenty-Two Draw.  Old west throwback!  And then there is obviously the pink to orange to salmon color -- contrary to popular belief, not all Arizona wood from the Chinle looks like this.  Another impressive feature? An impressive slash of agate decorating the center.  This piece also has its manageable size as an asset as well – 5" diameter on the polished face -- and therefore easy to perch on a stand or shelf.  The Twenty-Two draw area has produced really notable pink- and salmon-hued petrified wood in the mid 20th century with great patterns in white and gray, but it surely is commonplace on the market.  We were delighted to be able to acquire this gorgeous slab with excellent polish. You will not be disappointed by this color!  We work diligently to ensure that our colors are represented fairly in our photographs, and this one will not disappoint.  
5” diameter on  polished face; 5/16” thick slab   $62

Ancient Redwood  (Sequoia sp.)
Columbia Plateau Basalts Group
Miocene
Saddle Mountain, Washington
**  An exceptional piece from Saddle Mountain with clear and crisp aesthetic growth rings and a really lavender pink eye-catching presence!  This incredible display-quality specimen is further enhanced by the cavity which emanates from the center.  This cavity is filled with bubbly white chalcedony over its entire surface.  There are similar bubbles of chalcedony dripping off of the exterior rind of this slab as well!  A truly outstanding piece.  Got some Saddle Mountain wood in your collection?  Here’s an opportunity to add an extraordinary piece!
10.5” x 5.5” on polished face; 1/2” thick slab   $225

Oak (Quercus sp.)
Columbia Plateau Basalts Group, Miocene
Deschutes Canyon, Oregon
**  A VERY nice slab of oak from this legendary locality.  The site was on top of the canyon walls about four miles upstream of the confluence of the Deschutes River and the Columbia River.  In recent years, the ranchers who own the land on the sides of the canyon walls have closed their property to collecting.  As a consequence, this especially nice material has now become much more difficult to obtain so we were pleased to find this one at one of the Oregon shows.  This specimen has the nice characteristics that make Deschutes Canyon material desirable -- excellent eye appeal, nice sharp definition of medullary rays, great pattern enhanced by the rot pocket in the upper center.  This one is destined for inclusion in someones display case!  Click photo for a closer view ... and then don't let this one get away!
6.5" x 5.5" on polished face; 3/8" thick slab    $149