Red-multi-colored petrified conifer, wood slice from Arizona, Araucaria

A polished, multi-colored wooden disc made of petrified conifer wood from Arizona, from the Triassic genus Araucaria. 63 cm trunk cross-section with clearly preserved fiber structure.

Petrified wood from Petrified Forest National Park is approximately 220 million years old. Permineralization by silica-rich groundwater replaced the organic material cell by cell with quartz or chalcedony, while the wood fiber structure was preserved.

The strong red coloration comes from iron oxides that were flushed into the wood pores from the surrounding sediments during mineralization. Multi-colored materials are sought after in the collector's trade for their strong visual presence.

Today, recovery takes place outside the national park boundaries from private lands or historical collections.

A paleontological collector's item with strong coloring and a size relevant to collectors.