• Option A, four views of a tall thin triangular arch with a round hole at the center. The piece has excellent sweeping layering with some dark banding at the top. The front and back have a rippled texture.
  • Sandstone arches spread over a tabletop, with similarly colored gravel under them
  • A thin wide sandstone arch on a wood shelf in front of a cactus in a bowl. The arch has a hole cut out of the middle and thin dark banding.
  • A tall narrow sandstone arch on a mineral shelf, showing relative size. The color is quite vibrant compared to other specimens.
  • A close-up of a tall narrow sandstone arch with a circular hole through the center. A porcellio expansus isopod is climbing through the center.
  • Two images of different sandstone arches in terrariums. The left one is in a wet tank with plants and the bottom half of the arch is saturated with water. It has grown dark spots. The top is covered in isopods. The image is captioned "porous rock will soak up water in damp areas of terrariums and may spot or discolor over time (but they enjoy it regardless!)" On the right side, a sandstone arch in an arid tank with a large porcellio isopod climbing it, captioned "excellent desert rock for arid tanks"
  • Option B, four views of a sandstone arch that is thick and blocky, a stubby triangular shape with a round hole through the middle. It is mostly red-toned, with dark banding and some lighter layering on the top of the piece.
  • Option C, four views of a sandstone arch shaped like a narrow parallelogram. It has good layering and dark banding running diagonally across it.
  • Option D, four views of a sandstone arch shaped like an arch with a wide tapered base and a large oval hole in the center. The piece has excellent craggy form, with the edges serrated by the raised ridges of dark banding. Good banding and layering running vertically through the piece.
  • Option E, four views of a sandstone arch shaped like a ramp, with one curved side. The curved side has an odd crust-like growth of a more cement-like texture. There is a round hole asymmetrically offset to one side. The piece has good layering with little dark banding.
  • Option F, four views of a sandstone arch shaped like a rounded arch, and with a triangular base. An oval hole is cut through the center. One side has good layering and some dark banding, and the other side has lighter banding for a more uniform appearing red color.
  • Option G, four views of a tall thin sandstone arch, rectangularly shaped with a round hold in the center. In side, view it is tapered from thin at the tip to wide at the base. Good dark banding diagonally across the piece, with good layering; colors not super distinct though.
  • Option H, four views of a narrow off-square shaped sandstone arch with a squared round hole in the center. The piece has good wavy layers and dark banding on one side, and dark scalloped patterning along one edge.
  • Option I, four views of a narrow tall rectangular sandstone arch with an off-round hole in the center. The piece has excellent layering with stripes of lighter material and dark banding running diagonally across it.
  • Option J, four views of a narrow triangular arch with one long tapered side of the base. A dark band goes straight down the center of the piece intersecting with the round hole in the center so that it is flat inside one side with the dark material exposed. Good wavy layering.
  • Scale image of option A, almost five inches tall by three inches wide.
  • Scale image of option B, almost four inches tall by two and a half inches wide.
  • Scale image of option C, about four inches tall by four and a half inches wide.
  • Scale image of option D, about five inches tall by five inches wide.
  • Scale image of option E, a bit over three inches tall by four inches wide.
  • Scale image of option F, almost four inches tall by four inches wide.
  • Scale image of option G, over five inches tall by two inches wide.
  • Scale image of option H, almost four inches tall by three and a half inches wide.
  • Scale image of option I, almost five inches tall by three and a half inches wide.
  • Scale image of option J, about four inches tall by four and a half inches wide.
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Sandstone arch

Sandstone arch

$14.00 USD
$14.00 USD
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Locale: Arizona

Approx size and weight variable by piece; see scale images

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These sandstone arches mimic the grand arches of Utah’s national parks. They are made of Arizona Sierra sandstone sourced from central Arizona.

Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed of sand compacted and cemented together through geological processes, giving it a grainy texture. Sandstone with distinct layering like this is often called ‘picture stone’ because the layers resemble a southwestern landscape. It is often cut into flat slabs to best show the layering, and nicer pieces are even framed for display.

The orange-red coloration of these arches is caused by iron. People often assume “Arizona Sierra” simply refers to the material’s locale, but it’s actually a trade name for sandstone from this locale that has been heat-treated to intensify its red color. 

These arches are made by drilling a hole through a chunk of sandstone and sandblasting the material into a smoothed arch. The dark iron bands are harder than the surrounding sandstone and create ridges as the softer material is more quickly sandblasted away—just like the material would erode in nature. All pieces have a flat bottom for display.

Sandstone arches make a nice decorative accent piece around the home or in a desert terrarium. I put a few pieces I broke into my tanks and the isopods have enjoyed climbing them. Just be aware sandstone is a porous rock that will soak up water over time if used in wetter terrariums. This doesn’t seem to cause any issues other than some discoloration and spotty “growth” on the rock over time. Place it on a surface that will stay dry to avoid this.

E is discounted as the ugly duckling of the bunch due to the strange crust it has on the top. It kinda looks like a skate ramp. Cowabunga dude!

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