Petrified Wood

Petrified wood the name given to a special type of fossilized remains of terrestrial vegetation. It is the result of a tree or tree-like plants completely transitioned to stone by the process of permineralization. All the organic materials replaced with minerals, while retaining the original structure of the stem tissue. Petrified wood is a three-dimensional representation of the original organic material.

The petrifaction process occurs underground. Wood becomes buried under sediment or volcanic ash. Initially preserved due to a lack of oxygen which inhibits aerobic decomposition. Mineral-laden water flowing through the covering material deposits minerals in the plant’s cells; as the plant’s lignin and cellulose decay, a stone mold forms in its place. The organic matter needs to become petrified before it decomposes completely. The process lasts millions of years.

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 added to the process the crystals take on a yellow, red, or another tint.