fossil
Peanut Wood
Petrified Wood (Silicified Araucaria with Teredo boreholes)
Hardness 6.5-7 (Mohs); Color: brown, black, white, cream; Luster: vitreous to dull; Structure: microcrystalline quartz replacing wood.
- Color
- brown, black, white, cream
- Luster
- vitreous to dull
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Physical properties
Hardness 6.5-7 (Mohs); Color: brown, black, white, cream; Luster: vitreous to dull; Structure: microcrystalline quartz replacing wood.
Formation & geological history
Formed during the Cretaceous period (approx. 120 million years ago) when driftwood of the Araucaria conifer washed into the sea, was bored into by marine bivalves (Teredo), and eventually sank and fossilized, mostly in Western Australia.
Uses & applications
Polished into cabochons for jewelry, spheres, and collected as a unique fossil specimen.
Geological facts
The 'peanuts' are actually the fossilized boreholes made by Teredo marine bivalves, which were later filled with light-colored radiolarian sediment before the entire piece was petrified.
Field identification & locations
Identified by the distinct white/cream oval or elongated inclusions (boreholes) against a dark brown or black petrified wood background. Most originate from the Kennedy Ranges of Western Australia.
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