4" "Badger Pocket" Petrified Wood (Sycamore) Sphere - Washington

Badger Pocket Petrified Wood (Sycamore) Sphere - Washington #371211

This is a beautiful, 4" wide petrified sycamore (Platanus sp.) sphere, known as "Badger Pocket" wood. This highly detailed petrified wood was collected from the Squaw Creek forest near Kittitas, Washington. Badger Pocket Petrified Wood is among the world's most rare lapidary-grade petrified woods. Badger Pocket was mined in the 1940's on what is now the Yakima Valley Firing Range. Only one sycamore tree of this material was ever extracted, and every piece comes from that original tree. Even 80 years later, this material remains wildly popular, as it represents one of the finest petrified sycamore trees ever discovered. The sphere has been expertly polished to a glossy finish.

Comes with an acrylic ring display stand.

What Is Petrified Wood

Petrified wood is the name given to wood that has been turned into stone (fossilized) through the process of permineralization. In this process, all of the organic matter becomes replaced by minerals, while much of the original structure, such as tree rings, is retained. For this to happen, the wood needs to be buried in an environment low in oxygen to prevent decomposition and with flowing, mineral-laden water, so minerals may replace structures. The coloration is caused by various minerals/impurities present in the water during fossilization. For example, red colors in many cases can be attributed to iron compounds, greens due to copper, and so on.

$595

SPECIES

Platanus sp. (Sycamore)

AGE

Miocene (~15 Million Years Old)