Agatized Cycad wood is a fossilized remain of ancient gymnosperms where the original cellular structure has been replaced by microcrystalline quartz. Collectors often look for visible rings or cellular patterns that demonstrate the preservation of the original organic material.
Is this agatized cyad wood?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch agatized cyad wood with a known reference. Agatized Cyad Wood sits at Mohs 6.5-7 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Agatized Cyad Wood leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Agatized Cyad Wood typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: brown, red, white, yellow, gray.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: pseudomorphous.
Often confused with
Agatized Cyad Wood vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside agatized cyad wood
Minerals reported to co-occur with agatized cyad wood. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- SiO₂
- Mohs hardness
- 6.5-7
- Density
- 2.58-2.65 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Pseudomorphous
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Lapidary, Collector, Decorative
- Host rock
- Sedimentary Deposits
- Typical price
- $10-100 per specimen
Where rockhounds find agatized cyad wood
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Arizona, USA
- Utah, USA
- Madagascar
- Argentina
Field-hunting tip
Look in sedimentary deposits country — that is the host setting where agatized cyad wood typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, chalcedony, calcite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a pseudomorphous habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Oklahoma — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find agatized cyad wood on the map
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