very colorful petrified conifer, wood disc from Arizona, Araucaria

A very colorful polished wood slice of petrified conifer wood from Arizona, from the Triassic genus Araucaria. The full spectrum of permineralization colorations is visible on the 55 cm cross-section.

Petrified wood from the Petrified Forest National Park is approximately 220 million years old. The mineralization colorations arise from varying trace element concentrations during permineralization: iron oxides for reddish-brown tones, manganese for blackish, carbon for dark, clear quartz areas for transparent zones.

Very colorful pieces like this one showcase the full chemical diversity of the deposit. They are collector-relevant as didactic documentation of permineralization processes.

Extraction today occurs outside the national park boundaries; the park itself is a protected area. Material from historical collections or neighboring private lands enters the international collector market.

A paleontological collector's piece with full color diversity and didactic value.