Silicified cycad wood is a fossilized remain of ancient cycad plants where organic material has been replaced by silica, preserving cellular structures. It is highly valued by collectors for its complex, patterned texture that often displays distinct leaf base scars and trunk rings. Look for it in areas with ancient sedimentary layers, where it is frequently polished for its decorative beauty.
Is this silicified cycad 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 silicified cycad wood with a known reference. Silicified Cycad 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: Cycad-like bennettitalean plant (genus Cycadeoidea). Age: Cretaceous, possibly Jurassic.
- 3Check the preservationPreservation: Silicified. That controls the weight, the hardness and how the piece takes a polish.
- 4Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: waxy.
- 5Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: brown, tan, white, black, red.
Often confused with
Silicified Cycad Wood vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside silicified cycad wood
Minerals reported to co-occur with silicified cycad 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
- 2.6-2.7 g/cm³
- Luster
- Waxy
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Lapidary, Collector, Decorative
- Host rock
- sedimentary deposits
- Organism
- Cycad-like bennettitalean plant (genus Cycadeoidea)
- Age
- Cretaceous, possibly Jurassic
- Preservation
- Silicified
Where rockhounds find silicified cycad wood
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- USA
- Argentina
- Madagascar
- Australia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: sedimentary deposits. If you start seeing quartz, chalcedony, goethite in float, you are in the right ground. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Maryland. Start trip planning there.
More silicified cycad wood photos
Common questions
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Find silicified cycad wood on the map
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