Brilliant Wood

Example of Brilliant Wood found in Brilliant, Alabama.

We went to Brilliant, AL this weekend on a field trip with the Huntsville Gem & Mineral Society. We have several pieces we acquired from auctions and shows but this is the first time we collected some.

What is Brilliant Wood? It is petrified wood found from northwest to southeast Alabama that it is often covered with drusy quartz. Sometimes the quartz is clear, sometimes dark and smoky. It is sometimes known as "diamond rock".

We drove to Alabama on Friday and stayed overnight in nearby Winfield. We asked the lady at the hotel desk for a recommendation for a place for dinner and she suggested a local place called the Yampertown Steak & Seafood. We had an early dinner just after the restaurant opened and the parking lot was already full! Apparently the locals like this place, always a good sign. Stacy had a rib eye and Kathi had the steak tips - cooked to perfection and very tender! The price wasn't bad, either. What a nice way to get ready for collecting the next day.

We met the group at the designated parking lot, signed our waivers, and off went to the collecting site. The members of the Huntsville Gem & Mineral Society are very friendly and helpful, offering to share tools and ready to answer questions. We found several nice specimens surrounded by wonderful people in a beautiful wooded area on a sunny not-too-hot and not-too-cold nearly bugless day!

Digging in the mud hole

Some of our finds, all cleaned up!

Photographs just don't show how cool this stuff is.