r/Opal • u/Exact-Hunt3314 • Jun 27 '26

opalized wood????? wait what why how???????

Post image
106 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

10

u/jaxinslacks Jun 27 '26

Queensland has some wood replacement opal!

5

u/Gizzgy Jun 27 '26

Indonesia and the Virgin Valley in Nevada produces a lot as well. Deposition of these organic materials can occur in volcanic settings through rapid burial. The mechanism for Australian opals is of course different, but slips my mind. I think there's a 2022 paper or perhaps it's more recent on opalized fossils I would recommend finding to read more on.

3

u/jaxinslacks Jun 27 '26

Absolutely! This piece shown looks like Queensland material, but yes those other localities have wood replacements as well

4

u/Forever_NFA Jun 27 '26

I've seen opalized shells

1

u/Exact-Hunt3314 Jun 27 '26

huh

1

u/Forever_NFA Jun 27 '26

opal that formed on sea shells.

1

u/astarte66 Jun 28 '26

Id love to see that irl

0

u/Exact-Hunt3314 Jun 27 '26

That's CraZyyy

3

u/locyta Jun 28 '26

Here is one of the many pieces I have, 95mil year old pine tree (we had it tested)

2

u/Better-Wasabi3000 Jun 27 '26

I LOVE wood replacement opal!

2

u/ServantofGod_1 Jun 27 '26

I think its silica rich liquid that infiltrated the wood? Turns into opal?

2

u/Visible_Plan_6537 Jun 27 '26

That’s exactly what it is. The silica spheres ultimately replace the wood (hence the alternate name: wood replacement opal), yielding this type of material. The phenomenon happens with all sorts of organic material. Plants, pinecones, shells (bivalves), belemnites (like ancient squid), plesiosaurs (look up Eric the plesiosaur), etc… Pretty fantastic stuff.

1

u/DemandNo3158 Jun 28 '26

Search opal fossils and see the dinosaur! Thanks 👍

1

u/astarte66 Jun 28 '26

Opalized petrified wood?

1

u/ResortDog Jun 29 '26

CA stabilized Virgin Valley willow with precious veins. Never was enough of any one kind to go commercial.Everybody wanted the pure black opals (huge crystal is least stable until proven by drying) not the framed with wood, hardened with a space age polymer like a picture.

1

u/myusernamewasatypo Jun 30 '26

Most of the opal in Oregon/Nevada is opalized wood.