4.2" Fossilized Polished Petrified Wood Branch Madagascar 66-225 Million Yrs Old

Location: Madagascar

Weight: 7.2 Ounces

Dimensions: 4.2 Inches Long, 3.8 Inches Wide, 0.5 Inches Thick

The item pictured is the one you will receive. 

66-225 million years old Cretaceous and Quaternary periods

This polished Madagascar petrified wood specimen displays the striking beauty created when organic material is preserved through geological time. Finished to a smooth sheen, the surface reveals intricate patterns and natural color contrasts formed during the fossilization process, transforming ancient wood into enduring stone.

During the late Tertiary period, vast forests covered regions of Madagascar that were shaped by frequent volcanic activity. When eruptions occurred, standing trees were quickly entombed beneath ash and lava. This rapid burial cut off oxygen and eliminated decay-causing organisms, allowing the wood to remain structurally intact long enough for mineral replacement to occur.

Over millions of years, silica-rich groundwater flowed through the buried wood, gradually replacing the original plant tissue at a microscopic level. Minerals such as quartz, chalcedony, opal, calcite, and jasper filled the cellular spaces, preserving the tree’s internal structure in exceptional detail.

The specimen’s vivid coloration reflects the presence of trace elements absorbed during fossilization. Iron oxides produce warm reds, browns, and golden tones, while manganese contributes darker shades and subtle blue-black contrasts. Each specimen is unique, shaped by the precise chemical environment in which it formed, making it both a geological record and a natural work of art.