Petrified Wood Sphere

Petrified Wood Sphere

Auricarioxylon arizonicum

Upper Triassic – 220 million years old

Chinle formation, Apache County, Arizona, USA

Finely polished, measuring 8 inches in diameter.

Petrified wood from the famed Chinle Formation near Winslow, Arizona is sometimes referred to as "rainbow wood” due to the large variety of colors which are all naturally produced over time by mineral replacement on a cellular level. Different minerals which seep into the fossilizing wood produce different colors.

In this wondrous example the riot of colors present include orange, yellow, and cream with splashes of blue/grey. Also noteworthy are the well-defined original growth rings, which are a testament to the outstanding preservation.