11.6" Polished Madagascar Petrified Wood Slab - Madagascar

Polished Madagascar Petrified Wood Slab - Madagascar #88627

This is a colorful 11.6" wide, "rip-cut" slab of polished petrified Araucaria (extinct Conifer) wood from Ambilobe, Madagascar. It is from the early Triassic period, approximately 220 million years old, close to the time the first dinosaurs appeared on the planet. Both sides of the specimen are polished to a mirror-like finish, allowing for preferred presentation. Comes with a display stand to assist with presentation.

In the context of petrified wood, "rip-cut" is a cut that runs parallel with the grain of the petrified wood, as opposed to the typical transverse (perpendicular) cut.

What Is Petrified Wood

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.