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April 18, 2026
Still rolling out some great new specimens! Thanks for your continued loyalty. Jim Mills and Beth Myers ------ Have you joined? The Friends of Fossil Forests is a group which encourages research and conservation, and connects professionals and amateurs interested in petrified forests. |
Welcome to Mills Geological quality identified petrified wood and plant fossils from around the globe |
Our Featured Specimen
Conifer limb (Pinales Order)
Trout Creek Formation, Miocene Disaster Peak Road west of McDermitt, Oregon/Nevada border ** Full round limb section of coniferous wood. Conifers are not rare at any of the McDermitt collecting spots but neither are they at all common. So, when we see conifers out of an old collection like this one, we tend to simply grab them! This piece has excellent wood grain character along the length of its exterior - the polished face also draws the viewer in for a closer look with its interesting pattern. There are quite a few different sites along the Disaster Peak Road going west out of the village of McDermitt itself. So many in fact that we have to admit to not having visited all of them (in truth, some have been totally depleted over the years and no amount of digging produces anything worthwhile). All that to say we are uncertain of the precise dig at McDermitt which produced this piece. But we are certain that it was likely the fact that it is a conifer that encouraged the previous collector to add it to their collection, as should you! 2.5" x 1.5" on the polished face; limb section 4.5" long $30 |
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Conifer (Pinales Order)
Miocene Cady Mountains, San Bernardino County, California ** An end cut from a single find of petrified wood – very likely the only one that was found in the southern Cady Mountains in several decades. Talk about a vanishing resource. Well, there never really was much found over the many hundreds of square miles that constitute the Collectors’ Cady’s (as they are often called by Southern California Rockhounds). Indeed, this area has mainly been known for marvelous agate and jasper collecting in the past. NO more though. It was included in the new Mojave Trails National Monument and collecting will be prohibited if this National Monument is managed the same way as its sister area to the east, Mojave National Preserve. This significant find was rare before the designation of the new Monument – it will be irreplaceable in the future. This specimen comes out of an old collection. We think it is exceptional. If you can find a better one for sale anywhere – BUY IT! Otherwise, give serious consideration to adding this piece to your collection! 5" x 2" on polished face; end cut varies from 1.5” to 3” thick $69 |
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Black Locust (Robinia zirkelii) Tertiary Denio, Nevada ** A real beauty! Petrified wood from Denio (called "Denio Wood" by collectors and dealers in the last quarter of the 20th century) has become almost impossible to find on the market. The only times it appears seems are when old collections are being sold and that is exactly how this specimen was obtained - it is out of an older collection from which we were privileged to acquire a few choice specimens. The wood from this locality was very distinctive - generally black and white if sanded and polished along the exterior, usually with some orange/yellow/creamy white highlights on the polished face and usually with excellent preservation of woody structure. Most of the limbs were sanded on the exterior of the limb to remove the volcanic ash and enhance the beauty even further. What is NOT distinctive is the locality. And, for good reason. There are two place names called Denio in Nevada which are located well over 100 miles apart. One is the village of Denio on the Oregon border at Nevada State Highway 292. The other one is Denio Camp Springs, now called a "ghost town" with little remaining in the way of buildings but still it can be found on maps just off of Nevada State Highway 34 midway between Vya and Garlock. It was never actually a town; it is the remains of a cabin on land homesteaded by Billie Denio. Personally, I have searched unsuccessfully for the "Denio Wood" locality near both of these geographically named areas. I have talked with different people who were certain they knew the location - the tally included an equal number who KNEW it was near the village of Denio and those who KNEW it was near the Denio Camp Springs. It is noteworthy that none of the folks who KNEW the location had ever actually been there. The vast bulk of Denio Wood was dug by a dealer named Jeff Emmons in either the late 1970s or early 1980s. While I never met the gentleman, I did meet his son at Quartzsite in the early 1980s. He was one of the people who told me it was near the village of Denio but I followed his directions EXACTLY and they were completely inaccurate. He passed away soon after I met him so I was never able to clarify his directions. This limb is a Black Locust. The Latin name Robinia zirkelii is applied to all fossil Robinia in North America. Every collection of petrified wood should have one of these – and here is your chance. 1.5” diameter on polished face; limb section 4” long $85 |
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Pepper (Schinoxylon actinoporosum)
Laney Shale Member, Green River Formation, Eocene
Blue Forest, Wyoming
** So, it is possible that you now have a pepper tree specimen from the Blue Forest, but like lifetime accomplishments, there is always room for one more of them! This slice has outstanding attributes! Some small cavities in the wood are filled in with fortification agate. Others have the yellow calcite filling several cavities - we don't see it very much but not because it is rare. Many diggers and cutters soak their logs in acid to remove the calcite in hopes of finding botryoidal blue chalcedony lining the cavity. It happens - but not nearly as often as the cutters would hope for. So, we are always pleased to find slabs with the yellow calcite still intact. Aesthetics are an important feature of this specimen - we simply love the kaleidoscope appearance of the major limb with triangular sectors drawing the eye to it. We would be remiss if we did not point out that the blue in this Blue Forest slice is really dark blue - more aesthetics on display. To our liking, the slab has just enough of the lighter tan-colored peripheral coating of Colonia sp. algae. It really does frame the entire slab and adds interest as well as display quality. All in all, if you are looking for a Blue Forest slab to make all your other Blue Forest specimens envious - you have just found it!
6.25” x 5” on polished face; 1/4” thick slab $79
Laney Shale Member, Green River Formation, Eocene
Blue Forest, Wyoming
** So, it is possible that you now have a pepper tree specimen from the Blue Forest, but like lifetime accomplishments, there is always room for one more of them! This slice has outstanding attributes! Some small cavities in the wood are filled in with fortification agate. Others have the yellow calcite filling several cavities - we don't see it very much but not because it is rare. Many diggers and cutters soak their logs in acid to remove the calcite in hopes of finding botryoidal blue chalcedony lining the cavity. It happens - but not nearly as often as the cutters would hope for. So, we are always pleased to find slabs with the yellow calcite still intact. Aesthetics are an important feature of this specimen - we simply love the kaleidoscope appearance of the major limb with triangular sectors drawing the eye to it. We would be remiss if we did not point out that the blue in this Blue Forest slice is really dark blue - more aesthetics on display. To our liking, the slab has just enough of the lighter tan-colored peripheral coating of Colonia sp. algae. It really does frame the entire slab and adds interest as well as display quality. All in all, if you are looking for a Blue Forest slab to make all your other Blue Forest specimens envious - you have just found it!
6.25” x 5” on polished face; 1/4” thick slab $79
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Primitive conifer (Araucarioxylon)
Chinle Formation, Triassic
Circle Cliffs, County, Utah
** Terrific genuine old-timer here. We recently acquired specimens out of an old collection on which the collector had noted the exact location and year that the piece was collected. Circle Cliffs petrified wood is distinctive for the rich reds and rust-reds that contrast strongly with the blacks, browns and whites. That’s why we love this small slice - it has exceptional presence and is made-to-order for the collector with limited space to store and display their collection. (And maybe we all fall into that category …?) The Araucariaceae Family dominated the Mesozoic Forests.
In the case of the Chinle Formation, the forest was located in the subtropical latitudes with a mild climate and year-round precipitation. That is the reason you see so few specimens with annual growth rings. Like the tropical and subtropical species today, those giant trees just kept growing and did not stop to rest (and thereby develop a growth ring). In the 220 million years that have passed since this tree was alive and well, the entire North American continent, including all of the Chinle Formation, has migrated well north through the process now known as plate tectonics. If you value bulletproof provenance specimens coming out of old collections (like we do here at Mills Geological), this is a perfect fit for your collection.
2.75” x 1.75" on polished face; 1/4” thick slab $29
Chinle Formation, Triassic
Circle Cliffs, County, Utah
** Terrific genuine old-timer here. We recently acquired specimens out of an old collection on which the collector had noted the exact location and year that the piece was collected. Circle Cliffs petrified wood is distinctive for the rich reds and rust-reds that contrast strongly with the blacks, browns and whites. That’s why we love this small slice - it has exceptional presence and is made-to-order for the collector with limited space to store and display their collection. (And maybe we all fall into that category …?) The Araucariaceae Family dominated the Mesozoic Forests.
In the case of the Chinle Formation, the forest was located in the subtropical latitudes with a mild climate and year-round precipitation. That is the reason you see so few specimens with annual growth rings. Like the tropical and subtropical species today, those giant trees just kept growing and did not stop to rest (and thereby develop a growth ring). In the 220 million years that have passed since this tree was alive and well, the entire North American continent, including all of the Chinle Formation, has migrated well north through the process now known as plate tectonics. If you value bulletproof provenance specimens coming out of old collections (like we do here at Mills Geological), this is a perfect fit for your collection.
2.75” x 1.75" on polished face; 1/4” thick slab $29
Primitive conifer (Araucariaceae Family)
Chinle Formation, Triassic
Hite, Utah
** Way up north, just about as far north that the Chinle Formation can be found, Hite is located on Lake Powell in southern Utah and is surrounded by very rugged country. Remarkably, it is related to the same members found in Arizona - the Petrified Forest Member and the slightly younger Owl Rock Member. This one is a fine example of the aesthetics that are possible when the dark black has contrasting areas of gray. The Araucariaceae Family dominated the Mesozoic Forests. In the case of the Chinle Formation, the forest was located in the subtropical latitudes with a mild climate and year-round precipitation. That's why you see so few specimens with annual growth rings. Like the tropical and subtropical species today, those giant trees just kept growing and did not stop to rest (and thereby develop a growth ring). This specimen shows a few "growth hesitations" likely caused by temporary climate changes such as lack of adequate precipitation or unusually low temperatures. In the 220 million years that have passed since this tree was alive and well, the entire North American continent, including all of the Chinle Formation, has migrated well north through the process now known as plate tectonics. It is wonderful to have a good story to go along with such an aesthetic specimen!
5” x 2.75” on polished face, 3/8" thick slab $45
Chinle Formation, Triassic
Hite, Utah
** Way up north, just about as far north that the Chinle Formation can be found, Hite is located on Lake Powell in southern Utah and is surrounded by very rugged country. Remarkably, it is related to the same members found in Arizona - the Petrified Forest Member and the slightly younger Owl Rock Member. This one is a fine example of the aesthetics that are possible when the dark black has contrasting areas of gray. The Araucariaceae Family dominated the Mesozoic Forests. In the case of the Chinle Formation, the forest was located in the subtropical latitudes with a mild climate and year-round precipitation. That's why you see so few specimens with annual growth rings. Like the tropical and subtropical species today, those giant trees just kept growing and did not stop to rest (and thereby develop a growth ring). This specimen shows a few "growth hesitations" likely caused by temporary climate changes such as lack of adequate precipitation or unusually low temperatures. In the 220 million years that have passed since this tree was alive and well, the entire North American continent, including all of the Chinle Formation, has migrated well north through the process now known as plate tectonics. It is wonderful to have a good story to go along with such an aesthetic specimen!
5” x 2.75” on polished face, 3/8" thick slab $45