Petrified "Colla" Wood, Zile, Turkey

Colorful and unique; "Colla Wood" is the pinnacle of petrified wood from a mineralogical standpoint. This agatized wood is found over a copper deposit in Turkey with only a few pieces showing unique replacement with various copper minerals. The wood is a white pine but the term "Colla Wood" has been coined to popularly name the material stemming from the chrysocolla present in many specimens. This piece, sliced perpendicular to the direction of growth, shows growth rings replaced by chalcedony (agate) but it is the chrysocolla and malachite that steal the show with various hues of blue-green. Some red to red-brown cuprite and siderite are also present. Note that the chalcedony fluoresces too! My supplier is running out of small, high-quality pieces such as this and the deposit is apparently played out. Possibly of Miocene age. Zile, Tolkat Province, Turkey. Dimensions: 12 cm x 16 cm