New Free-Standing Turkish Colla Petrified Wood Specimen 3 Inch 143g Display

This natural Colla Wood standing free-form from Zile, Turkey features uniquely patterned subtle colors throughout its lightly polished face while the reverse remains as was found in nature. Weight: 717 carats (143) grams. Dimensions: 3.14 x 2.60 x 1.18 inches standing on the flat base.

Colla Wood is a rare type of petrified wood found only in Turkey. It's characterized by its vibrant blue and green colors, caused by copper-based minerals like Chrysocolla, Malachite, and Azurite as well as Chalcedony, Hematite and Volborthite that replaced the wood's organic matter over millions of years. This unique formation occurred when ancient trees were buried near a copper deposit, allowing copper-rich water to seep into the wood and create the stunning color patterns after the wood was petrified (molecularly replaced by Silica). Many of the colorful dendrites you see are filled in trails left behind by burrowing insects. Colla wood is highly prized for its beauty and rarity, but it's also challenging to work with due to the varying hardness of the minerals involved.