KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – A historic geological specimen will be shown for the first time in a private presentation at the Klamath County Museum on Monday.
The Becky Stone is an opalized tree stump from over 66 million years ago. According to the Rock and Arrowhead Club of Klamath Falls, the 23-pound Cretaceous-era specimen was first discovered in a California gold mine in Iowa Hill, California. The petrified stump then spent some time in the private rock garden of mine owner Kathy Morgan. The stone was later gifted to Lloyd Dirk, who gave it as a present to his wife, Rebecca. The stone was used as a doorstop for a short time, after which it was discovered to contain opal and fossils, including an intact, structural root mass and remnants of ancient insect activity.
The Klamath County Museum tells NBC5 that several museums have shown interest in the stone, including the Smithsonian Institution. According to museum curator Matthew Voelkel, the stone is valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars…