Italian viewing stone (Palombini)

[MACH5]

This is an Italian viewing stone often called in Italy "palombini" and not necessarily referred to as "suiseki". This stone was collected by Carlo Maria Galli in Maremma, Italy. It features a lot of detail with many rocky peaks and an intricate web of rivers flowing in between them. The dark greenish grey color is also very appealing.

Wanted to share some photos (and a clip) that Carlo sent me of his process in making a daiza for it out of a beechwood kitchen cutting board! Still needs its final varnish for a gloss finish. I think the stone speaks for itself. Molto bello!

 

[TyroTinker]

Very cool

 

[LanceMac10]

PM me when these urges manifest themselves.....consumptive issues are very complex and have different layers to unravel....


But a shade darker or more on the stained wood and I say you take it.....I do a horrible intervention, by the way.....

 

[Lars Grimm]

I love the fact he made it out of a cutting board.

 

[my nellie]

Beautiful stone!
I first knew about Carlo Maria Galli on IBC (username : maremmano)
He has a great collection of stones!
Informative videos also on YouTube.

 

[Lars Grimm]

Beautiful stone!
I first knew about Carlo Maria Galli on IBC (username : maremmano)
He has a great collection of stones!
Informative videos also on YouTube.

Here is the link to his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/SuperMaremmano/featured

 

[TyroTinker]

View attachment 156533

PM me when these urges manifest themselves.....consumptive issues are very complex and have different layers to unravel....


But a shade darker or more on the stained wood and I say you take it.....I do a horrible intervention, by the way.....

I would assume the stain will darken when it gets its glossy varnish. But I'm no expert..

 

[MACH5]

View attachment 156533

PM me when these urges manifest themselves.....consumptive issues are very complex and have different layers to unravel....


But a shade darker or more on the stained wood and I say you take it.....I do a horrible intervention, by the way.....

 

[MACH5]

Beautiful stone!
I first knew about Carlo Maria Galli on IBC (username : maremmano)
He has a great collection of stones!
Informative videos also on YouTube.

He really does have some incredible pieces!!

 

[MACH5]

I would assume the stain will darken when it gets its glossy varnish. But I'm no expert..

Yes it will.

 

[just.wing.it]

Very cool!
Nice work....beautiful stone.
Did you use a handheld router for that?
Or something else?

 

[MACH5]

Very cool!
Nice work....beautiful stone.
Did you use a handheld router for that?
Or something else?

Thanks but that's the work of Carlo.

 

[just.wing.it]

Thanks but that's the work of Carlo.

Ah, ten4.

 

[chansen]

Very cool!
Nice work....beautiful stone.
Did you use a handheld router for that?
Or something else?

Yes, a router. I tend use a larger plunge router, but smaller on handed routers would do as well. Scale the tool to the size of the diaza being carved. That roughs out most of it, then use smaller carving bits for the very edges to get the fit nice and snug.

 

[MACH5]

Here is the stone with its finished daiza. Carlo also sent a pic of what the stone looked like when he collected it. Full of dirt and mud and hardly recognizable from the finished product. This stone was not cut and I believe he tries as much as possible not to do so with any of the ones he collects. According to him this is a green stone that's endemic to Maremma where it was found.

He will be shipping it to me in the next couple of days.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

It's beautiful! I'd love to learn the geology of these "minerals!", if you or anyone has knowledge to share. It reminds me of what I've seen in some of the landscapes in the state of Utah.

 

[MACH5]

It's beautiful! I'd love to learn the geology of these "minerals!", if you or anyone has knowledge to share. It reminds me of what I've seen in some of the landscapes in the state of Utah.

Yes I know! Its incredible how nature translates or mimics itself at vastly different scales. There is a scientific name for this phenomenon that I just can't remember. Love to know myself what mineral(s) it is. When in doubt who you gonna call? Markyscott!!

 

[chansen]

It's beautiful! I'd love to learn the geology of these "minerals!", if you or anyone has knowledge to share. It reminds me of what I've seen in some of the landscapes in the state of Utah.

The Italian palombini stones are limestone. As acidic water leaches through the soil, it slowly eats away at portions of the stone. Most of the stones are found with the bottom (the flat side) facing up. As the water hits the stone, it follows the path of least resistance around the stone, and down the sides. The white portions are probably calcite inclusions in the limestone, but I'm not 100% sure on that. Could be marbleized limestone too (limestone turns to marble when exposed to heat and pressure), but I'm no geologist.

So really, these types of stones should be able to be found places where there is limestone below ground, and acidic water/soil. Search geology texts for karst formations. When I went collecting in Italy a few years ago, the trees in the area where the stones were found were primarily oak and beech. When their leaves fall and rot, the soil pH lowers creating the acidic environment. Many of the better stones I found were underground, not in permanent streams/rivers but in dry stream beds likely carved out by spring runoff/intense periods of rain. Stones exposed to constant water tend to be smoother and rounder.

 

[MACH5]

The Italian palombini stones are limestone. As acidic water leaches through the soil, it slowly eats away at portions of the stone. Most of the stones are found with the bottom (the flat side) facing up. As the water hits the stone, it follows the path of least resistance around the stone, and down the sides. The white portions are probably calcite inclusions in the limestone, but I'm not 100% sure on that. Could be marbleized limestone too (limestone turns to marble when exposed to heat and pressure), but I'm no geologist.

So really, these types of stones should be able to be found places where there is limestone below ground, and acidic water/soil. Search geology texts for karst formations. When I went collecting in Italy a few years ago, the trees in the area where the stones were found were primarily oak and beech. When their leaves fall and rot, the soil pH lowers creating the acidic environment. Many of the better stones I found were underground, not in permanent streams/rivers but in dry stream beds likely carved out by spring runoff/intense periods of rain. Stones exposed to constant water tend to be smoother and rounder.

Great info Christian. So very similar to the way Furuya stones are formed?

 

[davetree]

Is this the same stone as Ligurian stone ? I have several Ligurian stones from Chiara Padrini and they look almost identical.