W042 / Oregon
Stinking Water petrified wood
Silicified wood; locality label
The wood structure is the useful first question. A Stinking Water label adds locality information only when its history can be documented.
← Western Lapidary MaterialsWhat it is
Silicified wood; locality label
What to look for
Look for preserved growth rings, grain and cellular structure on an appropriate cut face. Brown or golden color alone cannot identify the locality or the tree.
At the cutting bench
Follow grain and inspect fractures before choosing a cut. Mineral replacement, voids and weathering can vary within one piece.
Under the loupe
Compare Hampton Butte and other silicified woods. Do not confuse preserved wood anatomy with a limb cast, or assume a plume-agate label refers to the same material.
Source & collecting access
Current production and lawful collecting access are UNKNOWN. The museum’s acquisition record is not a visitor-access record.
Status checked 2026-10-03The market notebook
No verified realized-price range was established for this entry. Asking prices and sold labels are not interchangeable.
Market researched 2026-10-03Open the field notes
Formation & evidence
The NMSU Zuhl catalog documents a large slab labelled Stinking Water, Oregon, white oak and Miocene. That catalog identification belongs to the accessioned specimen. It does not establish the species or age of all material sold under the name; conflicting commercial age descriptions remain unresolved.
Collecting & trade context
Old labels may contain a useful place name but no tree identification. Keep original labels attached to associated slabs and rough; appearance alone cannot restore missing provenance.
Reading an old label
Preserve labels, dates, wrapping and associated pieces. Visual resemblance, material identity, locality attribution and documented provenance are separate conclusions.
What we know—and what we don’t
Visual resemblance can narrow a comparison. Material identity, locality attribution and documented provenance need separate evidence.
C&C Reference Collection
Source-labelled reference examples are linked below. Images without explicit reuse permission are not reproduced.
Sources & Further Reading
- NMSU Zuhl Collection: specimen 3066
Primary accession catalog. Acquisition in 2015; its Miocene/white-oak labels are specimen-specific. Image reuse not cleared.
Historic locality information is not current collecting permission. For cutting, use suitable dust controls and material-specific safety guidance.