Petrified Wood gets it name from the Greet root (petro) meaning (rock or stone) Petrified Wood is literally (Wood turned into stone) it's a type of fossil that consists of fossilized wood in which all the organic materials have been replaced with minerals (most often a silicate, such as quartz), while retaining the original structure of the wood. The petrifaction process occurs underground, when wood becomes buried under sediment and is initially preserved due to a lack of oxygen. Mineral-rich water flowing through the sediment deposits minerals in the plant's cells and as the plant's lignin and cellulose decay away, a stone mold forms in its place.
In general, wood takes less than 100 years to petrify. The organic matter needs to become petrified before it decomposes completely. A forest where the wood has (Petrified) becomes known as a (Petrified Forest).
Elements such as Manganese, Iron and Copper in the water/mud during the petrification process give petrified wood a variety of color ranges. Pure quartz crystals are colorless, but when contaminants are added to the process the crystals take on a yellow, red, or other tint.
Following is a list of contaminating elements and related color hues:
- carbon - black
- cobalt - green/blue
- chromium - green/blue
- copper - green/blue
- iron oxides - red, brown, and yellow
- manganese - pink/orange
- manganese oxides - black/yellow
Additonally Petrified Wood can preserve the original structure of the wood in all its detail, down to the microscopic level. Structures such as tree rings and the various tissues are often observed features.
Petrified wood has a Mohs hardness of 7, the same as quartz crystal. Petrified wood is the provincial stone of Alberta and also the state gem of Washington.
These specimen pieces of Petrified Wood were collected in Madagascar each piece measures approxiamately 1" Inch to 1 1/2" Inches in size.
