superb matrix of Fluorite ps. after Petrified Wood (van Tichelen Coll)

Item Description

This is one of the few known matrix specimens showcasing a strange and eerily beautiful pseudomorph of fluorite infiltrating and replacing Permian-aged petrified wood (280 million years ago). A detailed write up by the previous owner accompanies, and relates the rarity of fine matrix specimens This specimen is extraordinary because the petrified limb is embedded in matrix rock, which is white tuff. You can clearly see the concentric layers of bark and wood, which have been replaced by purple fluorite. The limb has a length of 4.5 cm and a diameter of 1.7 cm. Such matrix pieces are rare and highly sought after. From the important pseudomorph collection of Dr Wouter van Tichelen, Antwerp. Found in a construction dig in 2001, from a location now closed and therefore these are almost never seen for sale, this is difficult to place a value on and the perfect kind of item to place in auction and see how it goes when the world sees it. A quick look at google confirmed the following information on FMF message board:

Found some years ago during construction works. Huge logs up to many meters were recovered, but Fluorite was always rare. Now the whole town with its petrified forest is a protected geological area and collecting is strictly forbidden. The petrified forest of Chemnitz is well
documented - sediments of Permian age with huge logs and a rich fauna and flora. Fluorite replacing fossil wood has always been rare and is a German classic. The museum in the "Tietz" has a fantastic exhibition about the petrified forest inside Chemnitz. (comments taken from well-known collector Gerhard Brandstetter posting on a Friends of Minerals forum).