# Is this what I think it Was?



## Echoashtoreth (Jan 23, 2019)

If so - just wow! Petrified Ebony... (at least i think so)

Other ideas?

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 1


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## phinds (Jan 23, 2019)

No, that's not Diospyros spp. It has sharply defined growth ring boundaries which Diospyros does not.


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Jan 23, 2019)

Looks like the Rorschach test to me.


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## Echoashtoreth (Jan 23, 2019)

Any ideas what it might be?


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## phinds (Jan 23, 2019)

Echoashtoreth said:


> Any ideas what it might be?


Not even remotely enough information. Where is it from? How dense is it? Can you get an closeup showing more grain detail? When you say petrified, I assume you mean it's like a rock, or at least infused with minerals. Were there other things like it nearby? You really need to give more information if you want help.


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## Mr. Peet (Jan 23, 2019)

phinds said:


> Not even remotely enough information. Where is it from? How dense is it? Can you get an closeup showing more grain detail? When you say petrified, I assume you mean it's like a rock, or at least infused with minerals. Were there other things like it nearby? You really need to give more information if you want help.



I think she meant petrified... as in petrified...

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Echoashtoreth (Jan 23, 2019)

phinds said:


> Not even remotely enough information. Where is it from? How dense is it? Can you get an closeup showing more grain detail? When you say petrified, I assume you mean it's like a rock, or at least infused with minerals. Were there other things like it nearby? You really need to give more information if you want help.



It's petrified wood.... mounted on a stand and sorely tempting a rockhound wood nerd to relocate it for them. ..  but seriously, i don't have any details about where it was found.... i figured someone might have seen something similar - its obviously not mineral coloration bc the sapwood is perfectly white still... really nice specimin of both rock and wood...


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## Karl_TN (Jan 23, 2019)

Thanks for sharing the pic. You can find several more example by googling images of 'black and white petrified wood'.

For example, here's a cool looking coffee table made from a large piece of B&W Petrified Wood.
http://stainlesssteelboard.com/45_w...ed_wood_black_white_stainless_steel_base.html

Also, this link has some explanations for the different petrified colors:
 Petrified Wood Colors and Petrification

My unscientific guess: This wood was quickly buried by volcanic ash & mud, and then slowly petrified in the oxygen free environment in order to retain the wood growth that's easily seen in this specimen.


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## Mr. Peet (Jan 24, 2019)

Well Karl, kind of right. Mike Wieman at the USDA Forest Service could give you a better reply, but often the wood is replaced by mineral, completely. The amazing thing is it happens at a micro level and the results are "rock" that contain formations anatomically that match the wood it replaced. That is as simple as I can put it in my time constraint.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## rocky1 (Jan 24, 2019)

So in short, it's been highly stabilized, eh?

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Mr. Peet (Jan 24, 2019)

rocky1 said:


> So in short, it's been highly stabilized, eh?



Sure, you can say that, but truthfully, not really. As hard and heavy as it is, it can be very brittle. Turning objects from petrified wood is a whole other 'ball of wax'. So, I'd say just past stable and entering into the realm of uncertainty...

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 2


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## phinds (Jan 24, 2019)

Mr. Peet said:


> I think she meant petrified... as in petrified...


OK, my brain is petrified


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