8.6" Wide Polished Petrified Wood (Araucaria) Log - Madagascar

Wide Polished Petrified Wood (Araucaria) Log - Madagascar #199031

This is a 17 lb petrified wood log with one polished end. It is Araucaria, a type of primitive conifer from Ambilobe, Madagascar. The mottled mixture of red, yellow, purple, and brown coloration along with multiple quartz crystal encrusted pockets makes for a truly gorgeous specimen and display piece. The log measures 8.6 x 8 x 4.3" and the exterior of the log has exceptional wood detail preservation.

Petrified wood is the name given to wood that has been turned into stone (fossilized) through the process of permineralization. In this process, all of the organic matter becomes replaced by minerals, while much of the original structure, such as tree rings, is retained. For this to happen, the wood needs to be buried in an environment low in oxygen to prevent decomposition and with flowing, mineral-laden water, so minerals may replace structures. The coloration is caused by various minerals that present in that water during fossilization. For example, red colors are due to iron compounds, greens due to copper, and so on.