Silicified palm wood is a fossilized material formed when silica-rich water infiltrates organic plant matter, replacing cellular structures with chalcedony. Collectors prize it for the distinct 'starburst' or 'dot' patterns visible in cross-sections, which are actually the fossilized vascular bundles of the palm plant.
Is this silicified 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 silicified palm wood with a known reference. Silicified Palm 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. Silicified Palm Wood leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Silicified Palm Wood typically shows a waxy luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: brown, tan, black, white, red.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: pseudomorphous.
Often confused with
Silicified Palm Wood vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside silicified palm wood
Minerals reported to co-occur with silicified palm 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
- 2.6-2.7 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Waxy
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Pseudomorphous
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Lapidary, Collector, Decorative
- Host rock
- Sedimentary Deposits
- Typical price
- $10-100 for slabs or polished specimens
Where rockhounds find silicified palm wood
2 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Texas, USA
- Louisiana, USA
- Mississippi, USA
- Indonesia
Field-hunting tip
Look in sedimentary deposits country — that is the host setting where silicified palm wood typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, chalcedony 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 Louisiana — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find silicified palm wood on the map
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