Agatized palm wood is a type of petrified wood where the original organic cellular structure has been replaced by microcrystalline quartz. Collectors prize it for the distinct dot-like or fibrous patterns visible in cross-sections, which are remnants of the vascular bundles of the palm tree.
Is this agatized palm 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 palm wood with a known reference. Agatized Palm Wood sits at Mohs 6.5-7, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Name the organismDecide what left the fossil before worrying about the rock. Organism: Extinct palm (genus Palmoxylon). Age: Late Cretaceous to Miocene (about 84.9 to 11.6 million years ago).
- 3Check the preservationPreservation: Replaced by silica, with prominent rod-like structures. That controls the weight, the hardness and how the piece takes a polish.
- 4Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous to waxy.
- 5Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: brown, tan, gray, black, white, red.
Often confused with
Agatized Palm Wood vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside agatized palm wood
Minerals reported to co-occur with agatized palm wood. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Mohs hardness
- 6.5-7
- Density
- 2.6 g/cm³
- Luster
- Vitreous to waxy
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Lapidary, Collector, Decorative
- Host rock
- sedimentary strata
- Organism
- Extinct palm (genus Palmoxylon)
- Age
- Late Cretaceous to Miocene (about 84.9 to 11.6 million years ago)
- Preservation
- Replaced by silica, with prominent rod-like structures
Where rockhounds find agatized palm wood
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Gulf Coast USA
- Indonesia
- Texas
- Louisiana
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: sedimentary strata. If you start seeing quartz, chalcedony, opal in float, you are in the right ground. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Texas. Start trip planning there.
More agatized palm wood photos
Common questions
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Find agatized palm wood on the map
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