Rare Petrified Wood / Colla Wood Slice

Vibrant teal and orange contrast perfectly with the dark dreamy base of this exceptional Petrified Wood slice from the Zile region of Turkey. Petrified Wood is typically composed of Silica with variations in color caused by the inclusion of small concentrations of other elements such as Iron. But in very rare circumstances, Petrified Wood can have inclusions of other minerals, in this case, copper-based minerals!

The gorgeous teal colorations displayed in the wood are inclusions of Chrysocolla, or as it is referred to in Turkey, "Colla Wood". You can also see bands of iron-rich orange colors within the natural fractures of the wood.

This variety of Petrified Wood is not only rare, but extremely difficult to work with. The varying levels of mineral hardness (silica being quite hard, and the chrysocolla being quite soft), make this variety of wood a challenge to cut and polish. The top of this piece has been cut and polished to a high gloss finish. The sides and back of the slab have been left in their raw and natural state. The sides have been left raw, with the back reinforced with a thin layer of fiberglass to ensure stability. 

It is believed to be a form of Petrified White Pine Wood from the Miocene Epoch.