Amber-Bearing Petrified Wood

[Dusty]

I was walking along the beach this morning and found a piece of petrified wood which has a vein of amber running through it .

I started a search on the net and the only article I found states that amber-bearing petrified wood is very rare, only seven pieces found in the world.(The article was written in 2002, so maybe there has been some more finds).

I'm wondering is this true? Have I got this wrong somewhere along the way?

The photo doesn't do the fossil much justice

[JohnJ]

I was walking along the beach this morning and found a piece of petrified wood which has a vein of amber running through it .

I started a search on the net and the only article I found states that amber-bearing petrified wood is very rare, only seven pieces found in the world.(The article was written in 2002, so maybe there has been some more finds).

I'm wondering is this true? Have I got this wrong somewhere along the way?

The photo doesn't do the fossil much justice

Hey, Dusty. Welcome to the Forum.

Amber color doesn't necessarily equate to Amber; and you're right, the photos are a bit fuzzy. You might try the Macro function (tulip symbol) if you camera has one.

[lordpiney]

hey dusty...welcome to the forum. here in new jersey, we have some cretaceous amber sites. the amber is found in chunks of lignite. lignite is fossilized wood that hasnt turned to stone. it crumbles if left to dry out. here's a link to see what im talking about.

http://www.terratreasures.com/newjerseyamber/newjerseyamber.htm

[Dusty]

Hey, Dusty. Welcome to the Forum.

Amber color doesn't necessarily equate to Amber; and you're right, the photos are a bit fuzzy. You might try the Macro function (tulip symbol) if you camera has one.

Thanx JohnJ.... Yeah just got the camera a couple of days ago, cheers for the heads up.

Is there any way I can identify whether or not it is amber?

It looks to me like a split occurred in the wood which then filled with sap, and then it all became petrified. I admit I am no geologist so this may come across as somewhat naive/ignorant

[Dusty]

Thanx lordpiney for the link.

Interesting stuff!

The fossil I found is extremely solid stone and quite heavy for its size.

Its interesting though that there is obviously a relative abundance of fossilized wood and amber together.

Was there any petrified wood in your find? I'm curious as this article claims that amber-bearing petrified wood is extremely rare.

The article

Note: Its on a research site that asks for money, there is a free trial and I just cancelled my application after reading the article.

[lordpiney]

the only wood was the lignite. i have never found any petrified wood with amber veins running through it. looking at your new pics though, id say it's more than likely that it's not amber but opal, or another mineral that filled in the crack in your pet wood. i might be wrong though. someone else will have a more difinitive answer for you by this time tomorrow im sure.

[Dusty]

Cropped a couple of the images so people can have a closer look....

[Iskandar]

Cropped a couple of the images so people can have a closer look....

Try to scratch in one side with glass. If scratch I'm pretty sure its amber!

[Shamalama]

It's a nice chunk of wood but I agree with Piney, it's agate or opal and not Amber. To find Amber in a agatized chunk of wood is exceedingly rare and difficult. Amber, being a tree resin, would more than likely dissolve away during the permineralization process. You could test it by putting a flame on it. If it smells like pine needles then it's fossil resin.

[Johannes]

Better You take a glowing needle (with tweezers), so you din't destroy it if it is real amber...

glowing needles go a little bit in the amber, and a small smoke plume will emerge... real amber smells like pine or olibanum, if it's a kind of plastic it smells awfully...

[JohnJ]

Good work on the photos, Dusty! lordpiney and Shamalama have mentioned other minerals; it looks a lot like chalcedony of some kind.

[Dusty]

Thankyou folks for all the helpful replies.

So I had a go with the glowing needle, and it didn't penetrate and there was no smell, so I guess it's not amber.

I must say my disappointment pales in comparrison to the excitement and intrigue I had from finding this.

I now have an understanding into the passion of a fossil hunter.

I'm going back today to have another fossik, as it's on the route I take the dog each day, and I've been finding petrified wood

there regularly for a few weeks now, along with some other interesting finds; The local aborigines had lived in this region for up to 60000 years and there seems to be some cutting tools and crude jewellery strewn about, these things are considered sacred and so best I just leave them where I find them, however if I find much more I'll be heading to the Aboriginal Centre to let them know.

It's peculiar as it's relatively close to the city, and in an area that has had some erosion, so the council has placed massive boulders along the shoreline to prevent this erosion. I'm surprised that this stuff has been overlooked, what with all the activity that's been going on in the area.

Thanks again guys, when/if I find anything else that seems of interest I'll let you know.

[Auspex]

...The local aborigines had lived in this region for up to 60000 years and there seems to be some cutting tools and crude jewellery strewn about, these things are considered sacred and so best I just leave them where I find them, however if I find much more I'll be heading to the Aboriginal Centre to let them know...

Good on ya', Dusty!

Welcome to the Forum, and good hunting

[Seldom]

I now have an understanding into the passion of a fossil hunter.

Another one Hook Line and Sinker

Welcome Dusty from Galveston Texas

[MikeD]

I'm going with chalcedony. Do you have any idea what formation it came from? I like seeing petrified wood from other parts of the globe. Welcome to the forum.

[Dusty]

So I went back and found this, a larger piece...

It needs cleaning, I'll have a hunt around this site for some info on the best way to do this.

MikeD: I'm not exactly sure about the formation, I'm not familiar with the context of the word in the world of geology,

however...

The surrounding area is generally sandstone cliffs with the odd pocket of clay. The cliffs are eroding and there is quite a few areas of overhang where the layer of clay is beginning to wash away. The tide plays a big part, sometimes exposing new things, whilst no doubt covering up others.

I'd post more pictures but my camera needs charging.

I'll take some snaps of the area tomorrow.

I found some other interesting stones which I'll post pics of once the camera is charged.

Edited January 12, 2010 by Dusty

[Shamalama]

Looks like you found a stump or branch segment there. Nicely done!

I think what Mike D. is asking about is this: what is the name assigned to the rock formations you are hunting. In geology, different layers of rock are assigned names to make it easier to reference. So instead of saying "The thick sandstone layer with clay pockets that contains petrified wood" they might call it the Dusty formation. The geological name of the rock unit is also useful in referencing the age of the rocks. Hopefully someone has named them and knows how old they are so that you can find out when your petrified trees lived.

[MikeD]

Thanks, Shamalama. That is what I meant.

Dusty, here is a simple geological map. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tasmania_simple_geology_map.png

It does not have the details of formations, etc., but shows an overview of the surface geology. Searching on Google will likely produce more options, should you choose to study up on your area.

Nice new find.

[Dusty]

Thanks guys,

I did a search and found this article.

Also:

"Thick layers of Tertiary rocks are found in the estuary of the Derwent River, D'Entrecasteaux Channel, Sandy Bay, Taroona, Middleton, Craigow Hill, and Spring Bay. The rocks are mostly silstone and clay. The deep estuary rocks are from the Paleocene. Travertine is found at Geilston Bay. Silcrete and laterite from this time is found too." From this article.

Also came across this: " The major structural elements of the region are determined by late-Mesozoic faulting which produced a series of fault blocks and grabens that were once filled with easily erodable Tertiary material. Present processes of erosion are exhuming these old late-Mesozoic fault systems by rapid removal of the last remaining soft Tertiary rocks." From this article.

There seems to be some silcrete in the area (I am a total noob to all of this so may be way off the mark) I reached this conclusion after finding this:

rough dimensions: 16x5x4 (inches)

This may be nothing but it looks very similar to the trunk of a She oak tree, She oak is native to Australia and there is quite a lot growing in the area. The core of it looks and feels very much like concrete and/or maybe quartz(?). It is quite heavy for its size.

I found this which might be fossilized bone(?):

rough dimensions: 3x3x3 (inches)

Again it is quite heavy for its size.

Please don't hesitate to correct me on any of this as I don't want to clog the site with nonsense, and regardless I'd appreciate the info.

Also should I be starting another thread with all this? (I have more seemingly interesting finds I'd like to post)

[Auspex]

That is some complicated geology you're hunting in!

As for "nonsense", there is no such thing when presented in the context of learning .

(I'll have to wait for others to weigh-in on your new finds; maybe I'll learn something).

[Pompanohunter]

I have a piece of petrified wood with amber oozing out of the surface cracks. The amber fills the cracks to the center of the trunk (polished ends). Does anyone have knowledge on items like this? New here..... Bob W

[Auspex]

I have a piece of petrified wood with amber oozing out of the surface cracks. The amber fills the cracks to the center of the trunk (polished ends). Does anyone have knowledge on items like this? New here..... Bob W

That must be quite attractive!

Check the hardness of the "amber" though; it may be calcite or another mineral. The process that wood goes through when it petrifies is usually different than what preserves the resin as amber (though I have heard of the combination).

[Tennessees Pride]

Thanks guys,I did a search and found this article.Also:"Thick layers of Tertiary rocks are found in the estuary of the Derwent River, D'Entrecasteaux Channel, Sandy Bay, Taroona, Middleton, Craigow Hill, and Spring Bay. The rocks are mostly silstone and clay. The deep estuary rocks are from the Paleocene. Travertine is found at Geilston Bay. Silcrete and laterite from this time is found too." From this article.Also came across this: " The major structural elements of the region are determined by late-Mesozoic faulting which produced a series of fault blocks and grabens that were once filled with easily erodable Tertiary material. Present processes of erosion are exhuming these old late-Mesozoic fault systems by rapid removal of the last remaining soft Tertiary rocks." From this article.There seems to be some silcrete in the area (I am a total noob to all of this so may be way off the mark) I reached this conclusion after finding this:10.jpgrough dimensions: 16x5x4 (inches)This may be nothing but it looks very similar to the trunk of a She oak tree, She oak is native to Australia and there is quite a lot growing in the area. The core of it looks and feels very much like concrete and/or maybe quartz(?). It is quite heavy for its size.9.jpgI found this which might be fossilized bone(?):12.jpg13.jpgrough dimensions: 3x3x3 (inches)Again it is quite heavy for its size.Please don't hesitate to correct me on any of this as I don't want to clog the site with nonsense, and regardless I'd appreciate the info.Also should I be starting another thread with all this? (I have more seemingly interesting finds I'd like to post)

Dusty, the large specimen reminds me of coprolite....but if it is, it had to have come from a huge animal! Edited March 2, 2014 by Tennessees Pride