FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Gentrydodd]

It's a long strange story how I acquired this, but I've been curious about what the green is as well as what the blue chunks are. If anyone has any information it would be much much appreciated. I'm familiar with Arizona petrified wood but it seems like this specimen is only partially petrified with some types of crystals inside.

[rernst]

A picture of the other side might help confirm it's ID as petrified wood. As you are probably aware the color of Arizona wood can vary depending on the trace minerals present. Quartz crystal form in voids in some cases. I'm skeptical that it is petrified wood because of the fracture planes which seem to be irregular with peaks and valleys. The petrified wood I've come across tends to break apart with more or less flat planes. This piece seems to be made up of distinct minerals more typical of a metamorphic source.

[Gentrydodd]

Here's more pics

[Bob Morgan]

Looks like Arizona petrified wood to me. Crystals can be where the heart of the wood was lining pieces in the voids. They usually are lining elongated slivers in the direction of the wood grain.

[Gentrydodd]

What kind of crystals are forming on the inside? The deep blue and the translucent green

[Amir Akhavan]

Does it have a splintery fracture or do fibers come off?
My first impression of the specimen is simply serpentine asbestos (antigorite or the like), I don't think this is petrified wood.

[Gentrydodd]

Yes it is splintery and fibers are coming off

[Amir Akhavan]

If the mineral is rather soft (easily scratched by glass), it's a probably a serpentine-group mineral, and asbestos - no worries, it won't bite, just use common sense when handling and don't, for example, dry grind it ;-)

[Gentrydodd]

Please forgive me but I don't understand what you're telling me. When you say scratch the mineral are you talking about the small crystals or are you talking about the fiber looking petrified wood looking part. I guess I should have specified or explained better, I'm looking to find out what the fibrous specimen is as well as the blue and green crystals that are growing on it

[Amir Akhavan]

The fibers apparently belong to the green, partially altered and brown material - this was the material I suggested to test for hardness.
The blue crystals (that look black or dark gray on my computer screen) are nothing I recognize. Someone else has to jump in and help. It doesn't hurt to test their hardness, too.

[Bob Morgan]

Are there any signs of growth circles inside the area that resembles bark? If not it probably isn't based on a wood predecessor.

[James Catmur]

I tend to agree

[Gentrydodd]

I will get some more detailed pictures this evening, I honestly have not a clue what this specimen is. I appreciate everyone's input and I look forward to figuring out exactly what this is