Massive, 9.9" Colorful Petrified Wood Sphere - Madagascar

Massive, Colorful Petrified Wood Sphere - Madagascar #133676

This is a very colorful polished sphere of petrified wood from Ambilobe, Madagascar. It is from the Araucaria tree, a type of conifer. The petrified wood is from the early Triassic period, approximately 220 million years old, close to the time the first dinosaurs appeared on the planet. It displays well on the included display stand.

This massive sphere weighs over 50 lbs (51.7 lbs). There are multiple spots of epoxy gap fill, some of which have fragments of petrified wood that have been set within the epoxy. Otherwise, this specimen is gorgeous and the polish work is excellent with no scratches or dull spots.

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.