Rocking it

You never know what's inside

December 10, 2017

Last Friday I was invited to go fossicking with some of the other lapidary club members. After a few last minute changes of people and plans, Jim, Barb, Merv and I headed off on a loop of over 400km to look for petrified wood on a 36C day. What were we thinking?? Our first stop was just outside Alpha at a small roadside cutout where roadbase had been quarried. I only found small pieces there while being watched by curious cattle who were sensible enough to stay in the shade. One was a small piece with a pale pinkish colour with fine grain that made me think of salmon.

Our second stop was beside a creek near Clermont where there were very large pieces scattered around. I collected a bucket of material and brought it all home to take a closer look at. Here are a small number of the pieces as collected.

The thing with petrified wood is that you don't know what you'll find until you cut them open. So I took them to club on Saturday morning and got to work. Some were disappointingly bland. Some proved interesting when I gave them a quick polish. And then there was the piece I mentioned above. When it was cut the inside was spectacular - greens and reds with a wood texture running through it. It's at the bottom of both the before shot above and after shot (all the same bits of wood) below.

I was very happy! And I have lots more wood to cut - enough for months I think. Well, it'll make a change from thunder eggs. We collected over a hundred of those years ago and I've been slowly working through them over the past couple of months. I need a change!

I'm well and truly hooked on rocks!