Fossilized conifer wood disc from Madagascar, Araucaria

A petrified wood slice from Madagascar, obtained from an approximately 220-million-year-old Araucaria, a primordial conifer species. Cut with a diamond saw, ground and polished on one side.

Petrified wood is formed by silicification: over millions of years, organic plant cells are replaced by quartz or agate, while the cellular structure of the original wood is preserved. The polished surface is the original stone surface, extremely scratch-resistant, and not varnished.

The colors were created entirely naturally by inclusions of iron, manganese, and other minerals during the petrification process. The bark structure has been preserved all around. A quartz mineralization is located at the center.

In addition to quartz, the petrified tree also contains agate and jasper as accompanying minerals. Such Madagascan Araucaria slices are considered important fossil pieces from the Triassic period. Cut and polished in Europe.