"RAINBOW" PETRIFIED WOOD SLAB. Araucarioxylon arizonicum. Upper Triassic. Chinle Formation. Egg Canyon, Circle...

Description

"RAINBOW" PETRIFIED WOOD SLAB
Araucarioxylon arizonicum
Upper Triassic
Chinle Formation
Egg Canyon, Circle Cliffs
Garfield County, Utah

This beautiful slab of 200 million year old petrified wood is a fine representative of an extinct pine tree known as Auracarioxylon. which has been cut and polished to reveal the internal cell structure where the proess of petrification has resulted in the organic material of the living tree being turned into a mineral replacement at a cellular level. This particular piece was found in Utah but was unearthed from the same formation as the world famous Petrified Forest in Arizona and is, by the way, the State Fossil of Arizona. The Arizona, and in this case Utah, petified wood is some of the most sought after by collectors and simply admirers alike due to the "rainbow" coloration so characteristic of the material. In this instance, the predominant red color is due to iron that was present when the log was mineralized. This slab has areas of random patterning which add to the visual appeal of the piece which features reddish-orange hues along with browns and whites among other colors. Woodworthia is also found in the same formation. This specimen was collected in 1972 from an area that was open to collecting until 1996 when it was made part of the Grand Staircase National Monument by President Clinton.
17 x 14.5 x 1 inches (43.18 x 36.83 x 2.54 cm).
Offered at no reserve.

Provenance: A Private California Collection

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