Sparkling Woodworthia Petrified Wood Slice | Zimbabwe

Specimen size approx: 3.75" x 3.5"

Woodworthia specimens display glittering crystalline throughout the center, with hues of pinks and olive greens difficult to capture in a photo.  

Wood from Gokwe is desired by collectors and challenging to acquire. To enter the location to gather specimens requires a tithe to the local chief. We are very fortunate to discover a supply right here in America who cuts and polishes these specimens to perfection at a very reasonable price. 

As the wood underwent fossilization, it was slowly replaced by minerals including chromium which gives this wood its olive color, while silica shines bright Sparkles throughout (see video) featuring a crystallized center. 

Petrified wood (from the Greek root petro meaning "rock" or "stone"; literally "wood turned into stone").  

The original trees were probably part of the Gymnosperms species, a group of seed producing plants that includes conifers, cycads, Ginkgo and Gnetales and most probably huge ferns. Vast swamp areas during the Triassic period about 200 million years ago were overlaid in coarse sand and mud.

Special rare conditions must be met in order for the fallen tree or fern stem to be transformed into petrified wood. In general, the fallen plants are buried in an environment free of oxygen (anaerobic environment), which preserves the original plant structure and general appearance. The other conditions include a regular access to mineral rich water in contact with the tissues, replacing the organic plant structure with inorganic minerals. The end result is petrified wood, with its original basic structure replaced by stone.

Manganese, iron, copper and chrome elements in the water have gradually deposited in the plant cells and stained the stone in their black, red, brown, yellow and green colors. On some of the logs of petrified wood you will see the original structure of the stem in all its detail, down to the microscopic level with the original tree rings where the plant's structure may still be observed.