Fossil Palm Root (1097)

Fossilized palm root is the result of elemental forces that have transformed the root and wood of the Indonesian palm into crystal formations. It takes millions of years and tremendous pressure for water rich in minerals to fracture the fossilized wood and leave deposits with their distinctive colors.

The carbon atoms are slowly replaced with silicon atoms in this petrification process, resulting in beautiful swirls and colors. It’s also known as the agitization process. It turns the wood and root of a tree into a material with a crystalline structure, making the palm root a member of the chalcedony family. Color combinations when minerals penetrate the wood:

• copper minerals bring brown-red-yellow swirls
• azurite minerals give a deep blue color
• malachite minerals make deep green color combinations
• chrysocolla minerals confer light blue coloration