7.6" Blue Forest Petrified Wood Stand Up - Blue Forest, Wyoming

Blue Forest Petrified Wood Stand Up - Blue Forest, Wyoming #158900

This is an exceptional, 7.6" wide section of petrified wood (Schinoxylon) from the famous "Blue Forest" in Eden Valley, Wyoming. The petrified wood is double hearted (two separate piths), is surrounded in chalcedony lined pockets and has been cut at an angle and polished to a glossy finish. The base of this specimen has also been cut flat, resulting in a gorgeous and unique petrified wood sculpture.

This petrified wood was formed when trees died and fell into a swamp where they were rapidly covered by algae. This formed casts that preserved the original bark surfaces and kept the trees from decaying. Eventually the algae casts and the spaces between them were filled in by minerals, often in exquisite crystalline form. These casts have preserved incredibly fine details in the wood, providing researchers with a wealth of information about these ancient trees. A paper on the formation of this petrified wood can be found at the link below.

Mineralogy of Eocene Fossil Wood from the "Blue Forest" Locality, Southwestern Wyoming, United States