Silicified dinosaur bone occurs when minerals, typically silica, replace biological material during fossilization, creating a durable gem-grade structure. Rockhounders should look for the distinctive 'honeycomb' or cellular structure visible in cross-sections, which helps distinguish it from generic jasper or petrified wood. It is highly valued in lapidary for its unique patterns and color combinations often derived from iron and manganese staining.
Is this silicified dinosaur bone?
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 dinosaur bone with a known reference. Silicified Dinosaur Bone 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: Dinosaurs. Age: Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous.
- 3Check the preservationPreservation: Silicified permineralization. That controls the weight, the hardness and how the piece takes a polish.
- 4Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 5Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: red, brown, black, yellow, tan, white.
Often confused with
Silicified Dinosaur Bone vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside silicified dinosaur bone
Minerals reported to co-occur with silicified dinosaur bone. 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
- 2.5-2.7 g/cm³
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Lapidary, Collector, Decorative
- Host rock
- sedimentary formations
- Organism
- Dinosaurs
- Age
- Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous
- Preservation
- Silicified permineralization
Where rockhounds find silicified dinosaur bone
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Morrison Formation, USA
- Madagascar
- Patagonia, Argentina
- Alberta, Canada
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: sedimentary formations. If you start seeing quartz, chalcedony, calcite in float, you are in the right ground. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Utah. Start trip planning there.
More silicified dinosaur bone photos
Common questions
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Find silicified dinosaur bone on the map
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