The Art of Crafting
Discover the meticulous journey of Madagascar's petrified wood. Each piece undergoes a transformation guided by industrial precision and artisanal mastery.
The Cross-Section Cut
A vertical industrial circular saw cuts through a relatively small diameter log. The log is secured on a wooden block while the blade descends.
Material Insight
The cooling fluid (water mixed with oil) turning muddy brown indicates the material is extremely hard and abrasive. This prevents the diamond blade from warping and suppresses silica dust.
The Reveal
As the cut finishes, the slice falls, exposing a distinct, yellowish-brown cross-section with a clear central core—proving the specimen is solid stone throughout.
Raw Material Inspection
A careful pan over a stockpile of raw petrified wood fragments, followed by handling a specific limb-shaped piece.
Texture & Preservation
The piece exhibits a dual texture: a rough, chalky white exterior mimicking ancient bark, and a smooth, reddish-brown interior where fossilization is denser.
Geological Context
The variety—ranging from black and grey to red and white—suggests different mineral deposits. Red hues indicate iron, while whites indicate silica or quartz purity.
Heavy-Duty Slicing
A massive blade slices through a large, irregular boulder of petrified wood using a specialized large-scale cutting setup.
Technique
Petrified wood ranks 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale. Cutting a piece this thick requires extreme patience to avoid shattering the stone or stripping the diamond blade.
Residue
The thick 'sludge' shows the sheer volume of material removed to create a flat face on such a large, raw chunk.
Slab Surface Polishing
An artisan works on a flat circular slab using a handheld angle grinder equipped with a polishing pad.
Pattern Reveal
Water on the surface acts as a lens, revealing concentric growth rings. Dark zones represent denser carbon preservation or manganese minerals.
Process
Overlapping circular motions are critical to ensure 'flatness' and avoid gouges that would distort light reflections on the finished product.
Shaping the Sphere (Roughing)
The technique shifts to shaping as an artisan holds a stone chunk against a bench-mounted grinding wheel.
Manual Dexterity
The spherical shape is achieved entirely by hand-eye coordination. The artisan rapidly rotates the stone to grind away high spots.
Safety & Environment
The heavy white coating is pure silica dust, highlighting the abrasive nature of dry grinding, which removes material faster but generates significant heat.
Refining the Sphere
A continuation of the shaping process with a focus on smoothing the curvature against the side of the grinding wheel.
Tool Usage
The artisan moves more deliberately, likely using a finer grit wheel to remove deep scratches left by the roughing phase.
Objective
The goal is uniform smoothness. Any deep scratches left now would remain visible in the final masterpiece.
The Final Masterpiece
A massive completed sphere is displayed, with water splashed over it to wash away dust and reveal the final gloss.
The Artifact
This large sphere came from a massive trunk, showcasing spectacular swathes of cream, beige, and rusted red.
Aesthetics
The 'flame' patterns are the distorted remains of the wood's grain structure, preserved for 220 million years.
Provenance
Triassic-period specimens from Madagascar are world-renowned for their high color variety due to jasper and agate replacement.
Own a piece of history.
Every piece in our collection is a testament to the patient artistry shown above. Millions of years in the making, finished for your lifetime.