Petrified Palm Wood Beads? Top Answer Update

Extinct palm genus

Palmoxylon (petrified palmwood) is an extinct genus of palms named for petrified wood found around the world.

Fossil record[edit]

This genus is known in the fossil record from the Late Cretaceous to the Miocene (about 84.9 to 11.6 million years ago). Fossils of species in this genus have been found in Germany, Italy (Sardinia), the United States, Egypt, Libya, and Argentina (Bororo and Salamanquense Formations).[1] Many species have been described from the Deccan traps of India.

Distribution[ edit ]

A number of Cretaceous and Cenozoic species have been described from the Patagonia region of South America.[2] A number of species have been reported from Egypt that are dated to the late Eocene and early Miocene.[3]

Specimens from the Oligocene Epoch (34 – 23 mya) can be collected from many scattered locations in east Texas and west Louisiana. Fossils found near fossil palm wood include coral, sponges and mollusks, indicating the palms grew along prehistoric beaches. For millions of years, the Gulf Coast shoreline has been moving further south.

In Texas and Louisiana, petrified palmwood is most common in the Toledo Bend area shared by both states. It was left by trees that grew when the Gulf of Mexico coast was much further north from where it is today. In Louisiana, fossilized palmwood is found in the communities of Rapides, Natchitoches, Grant, and Sabine.

Description[edit]

Fossil palmoxylon specimen from

Petrified palmwood comprises a group of fossil woods that contain prominent rod-like structures within the regular grain of the silicified wood. Depending on the fracture angle, these rod-shaped structures appear as dots, pointed rods or continuous lines. The rod-like structures are bundles of sclerenchyma that comprise part of the wood tissue that gave the wood its vertical strength.

Petrified palmwood is a favorite of rock collectors because it is replaced by silica and has well-defined rod-like structures and a variety of colors. As a result, when cut, it exhibits a wide range of colors and designs that can be incorporated into jewelry and other ornamental items. Because it’s made of silica, it’s hard enough to polish and withstand the wear and tear of normal use.

Archeology[ edit ]

In Grant Parish, Louisiana (and probably other areas as well), Native Americans used fossilized palm wood to make projectile points and other tools such as knives, awls, and scrapers. Projectile tips and other tools made from petrified palmwood were found in the center of Grant Parish by H.R. Hicks and other Native American artifact collectors. [citation needed] It is the state stone of Texas and the official state fossil of Louisiana.[4]

Species [ edit ]

Palmoxylon from the Quaternary of the Libyan Sahara Fossil strains from the Quaternary of the Libyan Sahara

There are currently more than 200 species assigned to the genus Palmoxylon.[5][6]

Palmoxylon araneus Nour-El-Deen, El-Saadawi & Thomas, 2018 (Paleogene; Jebel-Qatrani Formation, Egypt)

(Paleogene; Jebel-Qatrani Formation, Egypt) Palmoxylon arcotense

Palmoxylon bhisiensis Dutta et al., 2007 (Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India)

(Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India) Palmoxylon blandfordi Schenk, 1882 (Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India)

(Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India) Palmoxylon bororense

Palmoxylon chhindwarense Prakash, 1960 (Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India)

(Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India) Palmoxylon colei (Eocene; Green River Formation, Eden Valley, Wyoming)

(Eocene; Green River Formation, Eden Valley, Wyoming) Palmoxylon compactum

Palmoxylon concordiense

Palmoxylon Millie – very rare to find but very common in the UK in winter

Palmoxylon contortum (Eocene; Green River Formation, Eden Valley, Wyoming)

(Eocene; Green River Formation, Eden Valley, Wyoming) Palmoxylon dakshinense Prakash, 1960 (Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India)

(Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India) Palmoxylon deccanensis Sahni, 1964 (Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India)

Palmoxylon dilacunosum Ambwani, 1984

Palmoxylon edenense (Eocene; Green River Formation, Eden Valley, Wyoming)

(Eocene; Green River Formation, Eden Valley, Wyoming) Palmoxylon elsaadawii Nour-El-Deen, El-Saadawi & Thomas, 2018 (Paleogene; Jebel-Qatrani Formation, Egypt)

(Paleogene; Jebel Qatrani Formation, Egypt) Palmoxylon eocenum Prakash, 1962 (Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India)

(Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India) Palmoxylon geometricum

Palmoxylon hislopi Rode, 1933 (Cretaceous, Deccan Traps; India)

(Cretaceous, Deccan Traps; India) Palmoxylon indicum

Palmoxylon kamalam Rode, 1933 (Cretaceous, Deccan Traps; India)

(Cretaceous, Deccan Traps; India) Palmoxylon lametaei ​​(Maastrichtian; Lameta Formation, Deccan Traps, India)

(Maastrichtian; Lameta Formation, Deccan Traps, India) Palmoxylon livistoniforme

Palmoxylon livistonoides Prakash & Ambwani, 1980 (Cretaceous, Deccan traps; India)

(Cretaceous, Deccan Traps; India) Palmoxylon macginitiei (Eocene; Green River Formation, Eden Valley, Wyoming)

(Eocene; Green River Formation, Eden Valley, Wyoming) Palmoxylon mathuri Sahni, 1931 (Cretaceous, Gujarat, India)

(Cretaceous, Gujarat, India) Palmoxylon parapaniensis Lakhanpal et al., 1979 (Cretaceous, Deccan Traps; India)

(Cretaceous, Deccan Traps; India) Palmoxylon parthasarathyi Rao & Menon, 1964 (Cretaceous, Deccan Traps; India)

(Cretaceous, Deccan Traps; India) Palmoxylon patagonicum Romero 1968 (Paleocene, Patagonia, Argentina)

(Paleocene, Patagonia, Argentina) Palmoxylon pichaihuensis

Palmoxylon pondicherriense

Palmoxylon pyriforme

Palmoxylon qatraniense Nour-El-Deen, El-Saadawi & Thomas, 2018 (Paleogene; Jebel-Qatrani Formation, Egypt)

(Paleogene; Jebel-Qatrani Formation, Egypt) Palmoxylon queenslandicum

Palmoxylon resurgence

Palmoxylon riograndense

Palmoxylon sagari

Palmoxylon santarosense

Palmoxylon superbum Trivedi & Verma, 1971 (Chalk, Deccan Traps; India)

(Cretaceous, Deccan Traps; India) Palmoxylon valchetense

Palmoxylon vaterum

Palmoxylon wadai Sahni, 1931 (Chalk; Deccan Traps, India)

(Cretaceous; Deccan Traps, India) Palmoxylon yuqueriense

References[edit]

Further Reading[edit]

Thread a craft! White Round Wood Bead Mix contains a mix of optically textured wood beads. These round shapes come in two sizes and have two large holes, one on each side. The surface features a worn white finish with a hint of tan. Hang these up as decorative accents, kids’ crafts, and more!

Dimensions:

Length: 14mm-16mm

Width: 13mm – 17mm

Package contains 4.4 ounces of pearls.

Nowadays, the concept of jewelry based on expensive metals such as gold or platinum is largely abandoned in favor of ornaments made of wood. There is a great variety in the range of wood used to make jewelry, giving each of them a unique colour, pattern and texture. Among jewelry, wooden beads have always been popular and used for many other purposes besides making ornaments.

Wood beads are derived from natural wood and go through a process of cutting, turning and polishing before being sold as finished products. They have the advantage of being much lighter than a gemstone bead, making them easier to add to jewelry without adding additional weight. They are also available in different colors and patterns depending on the type of wood. Below are 5 different types of wood used to make beads.

ebony

Ebony refers to the various types of dark, black, or dense hardwoods. They are often used to make wooden beads that are dark or brown in color. Ebony is known for its refined and tight wood grain that shines well when polished. They come in various blends of dark brown and black hues with band patterns, making them suitable for making beads for use in jewelry.

graywood

Graywood is another type of wood used to make wooden beads. They are known for their distinctive glossy smoky gray appearance. Graywood generally belongs to a specific species of wood, but wood that is gray in color also falls under the graywood category. Graywood beads are lightweight and smooth, making them ideal for incorporation into jewelry.

rosewood

Rosewood is another type of wood used to make beads. They are a hardwood and are known for their pink and dark color used for making a number of decorative ornaments. Rosewood beads are known for their hardness and loose wood grain, as well as their smooth surface. They also come in light brown shades with circular and parallel patterns useful for making beads.

palm wood

Palm wood is obtained from various types of palm trees such as coconut and date palms. They are mainly used to make ethnic jewelry due to their distinctive gray and black markings on the surface. These markings give the palm wood beads a unique look. The wood is also light, smooth and textured for use in ornaments.

Bayong

Bayong has been widely used as a hardwood for making wooden beads. Besides beads, it is used to make various other types of jewelry due to its high durability. It is reddish brown in color along with a beautiful wood grain pattern that adds to its look. Bayong pearls are also shinier, making them perfect for jewelry.

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Petrified wood may be one of the most unique minerals on the planet, but does it have value outside of niche collecting circles? Since some petrified wood can be found cheaply, collectors may wonder if it is even worth collecting, at least from a monetary perspective.

Petrified wood has value to both collectors and jewelry makers, ranging in price from $0.25 to $10.00 per pound, depending on quality and size. This means that petrified wood can be a valuable investment as well as an aesthetically pleasing addition to any Rockhound’s collection.

Whether you’re looking to build your collection by adding petrified wood, or deciding whether or not to sell petrified wood you already have, it’s important to understand the factors that affect the value of petrified wood. Read on to learn more about petrified wood and its value.

Does petrified wood have any value?

If you are interested in reading the best books on rock and mineral identification, you can find them by clicking here (Amazon link).

Petrified wood varies in value

The first thing you need to know when it comes to petrified wood pricing is that the value of petrified wood varies widely. Petrified wood can be found at prices ranging from $0.25 to $10.00 per pound, depending on a variety of factors affecting value and quality.

Petrified wood can also vary in value depending on where it is purchased. Small pieces of petrified wood can be found fairly cheaply, for example, in tourist traps near the Petrified Forest in Arizona, but many of these are not exhibition quality pieces of petrified wood.

On the other hand, if you attend a Rockhound conference, you may come across higher quality petrified wood at a discount due to the bulk buying by the vendors in attendance.

Much of the value of petrified wood is also subjective. While more colorful or sparkling specimens tend to fetch a higher price, they can often fetch more than their true value depending on the quality of the seller’s presentation and the buyer’s preferences.

Overall, petrified wood isn’t as valuable as many other gemstones, so it’s not the first material rockhounds are considering as an investment mineral.

But due to its unique properties and appearance, a piece of petrified wood (or a dozen) can make an excellent addition to any collector’s collection.

Factors that determine the value of petrified wood

Many different factors determine the value of petrified wood. Here are some of the main categories used to sort petrified wood:

size

Larger pieces of petrified wood are more valuable than smaller pieces, primarily because the unique features of the petrified wood piece (such as stripes or other markings) are easier to observe in larger pieces.

A particularly valuable piece of petrified wood is a disc of petrified wood cut from an intact tree trunk – these pieces can weigh hundreds of pounds and sell for thousands of dollars.

coloring

One of the rare characteristics of petrified wood is that each piece differs in coloring based on the types of minerals formed during the wood’s mineralization process, as well as different colorings in the tree itself.

This can result in pieces of petrified wood that vary wildly in color and appearance.

crystallization

Some petrified wood pieces form with embedded gemstones such as crystals or opals.

These gems greatly enhance the visual appeal of petrified wood, adding luster and causing it to change color under the light.

presentation

Petrified wood pieces placed in display settings or polished to a warm sheen to better show off the specimen’s various patterns and coloring are usually more expensive than petrified wood pieces sold raw.

defects

Some pieces of petrified wood for sale may have cosmetic imperfections such as scuffs, scratches, chips, cracks or breaks.

These imperfections can significantly reduce the value of a specimen for sale, although many still have some value as collectibles.

Woodwork/Jewellery Making

Petrified wood is often incorporated into crafts such as furniture, coasters, trays or jewelry. Because petrified wood can be a difficult material to work with, petrified wood items can be more valuable than the raw form of the mineral.

Pieces of petrified wood can vary widely in their nature and suitability for use in more advanced crafts, so their value can go up or down depending on these factors.

Ultimately, much of the value of a piece of petrified wood is in the eye of the beholder. Because many of these pieces are auctioned, they often go to the highest bidder.

Most petrified wood sold in gift shops or metaphysical shops is an inferior stone that is bought in bulk.

Specimens purchased at private online auctions or at rock and gem fairs can be of much higher quality, but their prices are also higher.

Getting a good specimen at a good price can be difficult, but it helps to keep an eye on the rock and gem markets in case something interesting comes up.

TIP: What are the signs that rock is valuable? Learn the key characteristics of valuable rocks in the following article:

6 signs that a stone is valuable + examples & location tips

Types of Petrified Wood

Types of Petrified Wood

There are many different types of petrified wood as there are many types of trees that have produced petrified wood through mineralization. In Arizona’s Petrified Forest alone, park rangers have identified over a dozen different types of petrified trees.

All petrified woods have one thing in common – their original organic matter breaks down, leaving an area for minerals to form a fossil imprint of the tree with some of the following compounds:

Silica: Silica and silicates like quartz can give petrified wood a sparkling and gem-like appearance. Some sections of silica can also cause the petrified wood to appear translucent where it is predominant.

pyrite:

Pyrite, or Fool’s Good, is a mineral commonly found in petrified wood that can give the wood a golden tinge or yellowish tint.

Petrified wood that has been converted to pyrite can be susceptible to pyrite rot, where the pyrite degrades due to environmental conditions. For this reason, petrified wood containing pyrite should always be stored carefully and protected from moisture.

Calcite:

Calcite imparts a tawny color to petrified wood and can often form long crystals in hollow interior pieces of petrified wood, resulting in geode-like formations.

Calcite is the main compound in both limestone and marble, which can cause petrified wood with large deposits of calcite to take on a marbled, veined appearance.

Opal:

Iridescent opal is one of the most valuable minerals in petrified wood as it is a gemstone and can give petrified wood a rainbow of colors ranging from mint green and bright indigo blue to fluorescent orange.

Opal’s color changes depending on how the light hits it, making it a beautiful addition to any piece of petrified wood. Petrified wood containing opal is one of the most expensive types available.

Chalcedony:

Chalcedony is a form of silica that is cryptocrystalline, meaning the mineral’s crystalline structure is only visible at the microscopic level.

In petrified wood, chalcedony often takes on a milky or slightly bluish appearance, giving the petrified wood an opaque tint.

Jet:

Jet is a special form of petrified wood that is actually a mineraloid and not a real mineral. Like diamonds, jet is formed by hundreds of years of high pressure, making it a form of coal.

Jet has a sparkling black appearance when polished and is prized for its appearance in jewelry and other crafts.

As you can see, there are many different types of petrified wood and many types of minerals and mineraloids that make up a specimen. This is another reason why the value of petrified wood varies so greatly from piece to piece.

TIP: It’s good to know the difference between stones, minerals and crystals. It will help you in rockhounding. Read this article and never make a mistake again:

Rock, mineral or crystal? What is the difference?

Detect petrified wood

In addition to determining the minerals present in a piece of petrified wood to determine its value, there are also ways to determine what species of wood the petrified wood was made from. This can also affect its value, as some types of petrified wood are much rarer than others.

The plant samples from which petrified wood comes are usually determined by three main factors:

Colour:

The color of petrified wood can help geologists determine what species of wood it came from, although the color can be greatly influenced by the type of minerals that petrified the wood.

The type of color desired in a piece of petrified wood is largely subjective and dictated by buyer preference.

Rays and Rings:

Different types of petrified wood form different types of rays or marks within the wood, emanating from the center of the tree, which can be used to determine both plant type and age of the tree when rings are displayed.

cell structures:

The size and shape of mineralized cell structures within the fossilized piece of wood can often provide many clues as to what species of wood it was originally.

Many wood species have characteristic cell structure shapes that allow them to be distinguished from one another.

carbon dating:

Older pieces of fossilized wood are often more valuable than newer pieces, and this value is determined by carbon dating of the wood.

Carbon dating allows scientists to determine the approximate age of a carbon-based fossil. Carbon dating services can range in price from just over a hundred to five hundred dollars.

To learn how to identify factors affecting value in a specimen of petrified wood, such as: B. Species or different colorings, can be a step forward in learning how to accurately value petrified wood in an area where it can be sold for a profit.

By the way: Would you like to learn more about the identification of rocks and minerals? The books listed below are the best you can find on the web (Amazon links):

TIP: Do you know where to find petrified wood near you? And which locations in the United States are the best? Check out the full guide in the following article:

6 Best Places to Find Petrified Wood Near Me (USA)

Ways to sell petrified wood

If you’re looking to recoup some of the value of your petrified wood by selling it, there are several ways you can go about this process. Here are some of them:

online auctions

Both general marketplaces like eBay and more specialized markets catering specifically to rock and gem enthusiasts online can be good places to find quality petrified wood.

Rockhound Community Events

Rock and gem fairs are a great place to buy and sell unique mineral specimens and you are more likely to get your full value for the piece than trying to sell it in a more general market online.

Local Rating

Since petrified wood is often treated as a type of gem when appraised, you can ask a local appraiser to appraise and sell your petrified wood if you are not prepared to sell it yourself.

All places to sell petrified wood are also places to pick up quality pieces at a good price. However, there are often seller fees and other costs that can affect your overall profit when selling your petrified wood through these outlets, so ask ahead of time.

TIP: Rockhounding is indeed a fantastic use of time and quite an addictive hobby, but you’re here to see if it can be a source of income too.

Ultimate Guide: Make Money by Selling Stones and Minerals

How to increase the value of petrified wood

If you already have petrified wood and want to increase the value you can get for it should you decide to sell it, here are some of the things you can do with your petrified wood to make it more valuable:

Polish it

Many smaller pieces of petrified wood can be increased in value by polishing them in a stone drum or similar device.

This gives the raw petrified wood a lustrous sheen and allows the petrified wood’s markings, such as its rays, to be more visible.

clean it

Ensuring that petrified wood is properly cleaned and presentable is an easy way to increase its visible value. Note that Petrified would never be cleaned with any type of chemical cleaning solution that can damage or erode the surface of the wood.

Instead, petrified wood can be cleaned with a soft cloth dampened with warm distilled water to keep it dust-free and in tip-top shape.

Set it up or mount it

A piece of petrified wood mounted on a custom stand or in a shadow box can fetch a higher price than one sold as a loose specimen.

Placing a piece of petrified wood in an aesthetically pleasing setting can also help it sell faster. Arranging specimens prominently at a seller’s stand can also increase their visual value by drawing the attention of potential buyers.

Carve it

Whenever petrified wood is made into a piece of jewelry, furniture, or other crafts, it can usually fetch a higher price than a raw specimen.

Petrified wood is a difficult material to work with, so it cannot be treated like wood or stone when crafting. As a result, artisan pieces made from petrified wood can be costly.

break it up

While smaller pieces of petrified wood are generally less valuable than larger ones, finding a buyer for a larger piece of petrified wood can be more difficult.

Cutting a large piece of petrified wood into smaller specimens can be a way to sell a piece of petrified wood instead of sitting on it for years waiting for a rare collector to pay thousands for it.

TIP: Cutting and polishing petrified wood by hand using only wet-dry sandpaper is probably too tiring and time-consuming. Check out the complete guide to cutting and polishing petrified wood:

How to Cut and Polish Petrified Wood: Follow these 3 steps

Rate and date it

A professional appraisal of a petrified wood can greatly increase its value, especially if it can be dated to a rare time.

However, an appraisal is not usually free, and the cost of the appraisal can cut into your profits when selling the petrified wood.

Improve its presentation

Ensuring that the petrified wood is presented to show its best qualities is an important factor in getting your money’s worth when selling.

In digital markets, this means good photos of the item and meaningful item descriptions. In physical markets, that means having a tidy booth with state-of-the-art sales processing or other sales perks like Square payments or free shipping.

The fact that there are so many ways petrified wood can be upgraded to increase its value explains why so many price ranges can be charged for it.

Collectors also collect petrified wood for a variety of reasons. A geologist interested in the period a piece of wood is from may have a very different “wish list” for petrified wood than a crystal collector who only buys petrified wood geodes.

Petrified wood is valuable to the right buyer

Petrified wood is valuable, but its value is limited by the fact that it is generally less desirable than other semi-precious stones, and it takes some polishing and setting to produce a piece of petrified wood that is as valuable as a jewel.

To ensure you get your money’s worth when buying or selling petrified wood, you need to know your wood and know what you’re looking for.

TIP: Stay safe while searching for valuable petrified wood. Read this article about safety tips for rockhounding and enjoy your hobby without limits:

PRO tips for beginners and experienced Rockhounds + safety tips

How much is petrified wood worth?

Friday December 14, 2018

Petrified wood is known for being aesthetically pleasing, with a soft sheen and hues of green, blue, and orange. Because of its beauty, petrified wood is considered a semi-precious stone. It is often used in stone carvings and made into items such as jewelry, dials, paperweights, and sculptures.

Additionally, petrified wood can be valuable to paleontologists, allowing them to study geological conditions millions of years ago. Because of its beauty and scientific importance, petrified wood can be valuable—but it doesn’t always have to be.

There is no simple price-per-pound formula when it comes to valuing petrified wood. Many factors influence the value of petrified wood. It is best to have a piece of petrified wood appraised by a professional.

You can request an appraisal from the International Gem Society. Small samples of low-quality petrified wood may be worth nothing, while a high-quality petrified log can cost several hundred dollars. And large items made from polished petrified wood, such as B. table tops, can be sold for thousands of dollars.

How is petrified wood made? How is it formed?

Permineralization occurred when the original prehistoric tree fell into mineral-rich water, mud, or volcanic ash. Covering it with water, mud, or volcanic ash would deprive the wood of the oxygen that drives decomposition. Because the wood breaks down in a much slower process than usual, it would slowly be infused with minerals that would eventually crystallize and replace its original fibers. The end result is petrified wood, a fossil of the original piece of tree in the shape and format of a rock.

How long does it take for petrified wood to form?

The entire permineralization process takes at least thousands of years. All of the petrified wood we source is millions of years old.

What are the benefits of petrified wood?

Petrified wood is an extraordinary gift from nature, a relic that has existed on earth for millions of years. Because each original tree and mineral infusion is absolutely unique, each piece of petrified wood is absolutely unique – if you buy one piece of petrified wood, it will not be the same as any other. The piece that catches your eye is absolutely unique. Petrified wood is extremely rare – only a small portion can be cut into specimens and polished. As a result, it is prized by collectors who truly appreciate its magnificence. Others are simply fascinated by this strange and beautiful expression of nature. The natural beauty of petrified wood combined with expert polishing is a sculpture carved by nature. As a result, innovative interior designers use it as the intriguing focal point of the finest homes. Petrified wood is also easy to maintain. It has a hard, durable surface that can be easily cleaned with glass cleaner. It is impervious to stains.

How do you turn petrified wood into furniture?

Our polished specimens can be mounted on a pedestal as a table or as a spectacular wall mount. We can provide a table base for you or you can source your own if you prefer. We can also recommend pieces that complement the aesthetic of your home. We are able to manufacture various pedestals and display mounts for homes, businesses and museums.

What are the most common petrified trees?

Pine, oak and sequoia.

What is petrified wood worth?

Each piece of petrified wood has a different value based on size, rarity, and natural beauty.

What is the difference between a $20 piece of petrified wood and a $1000 piece of petrified wood?

The difference is striking. Cheaper petrified wood was mass-produced and polished without expertise. We have over 50 years of experience in sourcing and polishing petrified wood. Our specimens come from Arizona, Oregon and Washington, home to the highest quality petrified wood in the world.

What minerals is petrified wood made of?

The minerals most commonly found in petrified wood include iron oxides, manganese oxides, carbon, chromium, copper, cobalt, and silicon dioxide. However, there are many more options. The unique combination of minerals found in petrified wood depends on the minerals present in the water/mud/volcanic ash that have covered the wood for millions of years.

Official State Jewel of Washington

Washington made petrified wood a state jewel in 1975. Although rock hard and jewel-like when polished, petrified wood is actually a fossil, not a gem.

Petrified wood is also a state symbol of Texas and Mississippi (State Stone) and Arizona, North Dakota and Louisiana (Official State Fossil). All State Jewels – All State Fossils

Petrified wood in Washington state

In prehistoric times, the interior of Washington was swampy with trees such as cypress, oak, elm, and ginkgo. Some of these ancient forests have been preserved by lava flows and water and have petrified over time. You can see petrified wood at Gingko Petrified Forest State Park in Vantage, Washington.

Petrified wood is a very unique geological formation. Nature has worked twice here: first created a tree, and then turned it into stone. You are not alone if many questions come to mind when you think of petrified wood. You may be wondering if petrified wood is a plant or a stone? Is petrified wood a crystal? Is it a fossil? Why don’t all trees become petrified wood? How long does it take to petrify a piece of wood?

That’s why I put this article together to answer some of those questions and hopefully many more!

Here are the main sections we will cover:

What is petrified wood

How long does it take for wood to petrify?

Different types of petrified wood

Interesting facts about petrified wood

What is petrified wood?

Is petrified wood a fossil? Yes, petrified wood is a fossil. It is a stone with preserved natural wood structure. However, all the organic materials in the wood (cellulose and lignin) are no longer present. Instead, these organic materials have been replaced by silica minerals (quartz, chalcedony, agate, opal) and sometimes calcite, pyrite, or native copper.

Requirements for the formation of petrified wood

There are four mandatory conditions required for petrified wood to form. They are:

1. Absence of oxygen

The first condition for the formation of petrified wood is the complete absence of oxygen. This means that the fossilization or petrification process should occur without access to oxygen. Such a reduction environment exists under the products of volcanic eruptions (volcanic ash) or loose sedimentary mineral material (dune sands, glacial moraines, etc.).

When trees are blown down by volcanic activity and quickly covered in ash and debris, the wood is quickly deprived of oxygen, starting the petrification process.

2. Presence of silica-rich liquids

The second condition needed in the formation of petrified wood is the presence of siliceous liquids, which are imbibed by the wood (now buried under ash, etc.) and later crystallize as solid minerals.

Since there is no oxygen, the wood does not deteriorate and does not rot. And over many, many years, the organic remains of the wood are gradually replaced by the surrounding minerals.

3. High pressure

The third condition for the formation of petrified wood is the presence of high pressure. This high-pressure environment typically arises from the sedimentary mass (ash, mud, sand) that has covered or buried wood.

Under these high pressure conditions, inorganic compounds such as quartz can gradually enter the cells of buried plants. And over time, the organic matter is completely replaced by these minerals.

4th time

The last essential condition is time. In a few million years, the organic compounds in the wood will completely disappear and the tree will turn into stone. However, the structure of the trunk and its natural pattern are fully preserved. You can even tell the annual rings apart! But the age of the material is skewed a little by a few million years plus or minus.

Once all the conditions described above are met, the petrified tree is no longer a plant. It no longer contains any organic compounds. The composition is 100% inorganic.

Read more: How old is petrified wood?

The different colors of petrified wood

The petrified wood is highly praised for its wide range of colors and intriguing texture. The main colors that you will find are brown, gray and red. Sometimes you are lucky enough to find petrified wood with blue, yellow and green hues that appear due to the presence of various mineral inclusions.

The brightest colors are obtained when metals such as copper, chromium, cobalt, iron and manganese penetrate the structure of petrified wood (source).

Depending on its oxidation state, copper produces colors from green to blue.

The presence of chromium and cobalt can also transform the material into shades of blue or green, but slightly different.

Iron in the form of oxides (Fe2O3 or Fe2O4) produces all shades of brown from light yellow to almost black.

Manganese colors petrified wood pink or even orange, while manganese oxides induce dark tones to even black.

Remnants of organic compounds provide some carbon, which is responsible for all gray and black tones.

Metal impurities affecting the color of petrified wood (source).

How long does it take for wood to petrify naturally?

Petrified wood comes from different geological eras. The youngest dates from the Pleistocene. We are now living in the Holocene, which began about 120,000 years ago. Most of the petrified wood is from the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras. That means they’re “dinosaurs” between 66 million and 500 million years old.

A forest from the Mesozoic

In theory, a tree can turn to stone in 100 years or less. But such specimens do not have the requisite hardness that you find in older specimens of petrified wood. They can easily be destroyed by light pressure and are not suitable for the production of decorative elements. The older the petrified wood is, the more it is valued accordingly.

In most cases, petrified wood is the petrified remains of trees that grew in the Permian (285–250 million years ago) and Carboniferous (360–299 million years ago) (Paleozoic). For a better understanding of the numbers mentioned, it is about 3 million generations of people, or in other words 3 million great prepositions before grandmother!

The trees and sometimes whole forests of the previous geological eras were buried under the sediments without oxygen supply. The result is the formation of petrified wood, which we can observe.

The most common types of petrified wood

Geologists find fossilized spruce, conifer, tree fern, gingko, pine, araucaria, oak, birch, alder, elm, laurel and many other plants. It is known that conifers petrify more easily than deciduous trees.

The most likely explanation is a high concentration of antiseptic resins. That is why conifers are less susceptible to rot. Another explanation is that the softwood is silicate.

Different types of petrified wood

There is no strict classification of petrified wood. In the past there have been some attempts to classify by plant species. Unfortunately, not all petrified wood samples show the characteristics of the original plant.

Petrified wood can be subdivided according to its color as described above.

The mineral composition of petrified wood may provide the basis for the second classification. Petrified wood can consist of:

Quartz – the most abundant mineral on the earth’s surface, composed of SiO 2 .

– the most abundant mineral at the surface of the earth, consisting of SiO . Chalcedony – A cryptocrystalline variety of quartz. Cryptocrystalline means that no crystal grains are visible to the naked eye.

– a cryptocrystalline variety of quartz. Cryptocrystalline means that no crystal grains are visible to the naked eye. Agate – a variety of chalcedony, but unlike chalcedony, it has a layered texture.

– a variety of chalcedony, but unlike chalcedony, it has a layered texture. Opal – a mineraloid. It has the same chemical composition as quartz but a different crystal structure. Opal exhibits the opalescence effect, which could be described as flashes of color within the stone.

5 types of petrified wood based on structure and texture:

1. Homogeneous type

The homogeneous type is the simplest and shows the uniform ring color. This type of petrified wood is usually light in color and composed mostly of opal.

2. Spotted type

The spotted type is very decorative. This structure is a combination of opal and chalcedony.

3. Jet-like petrified wood

This type of petrified wood shows clean lines that sometimes form wavy patterns.

4. Concentric texture

The concentric texture of petrified wood is characterized by different layers of paint. The ribbons are saturated with different minerals, resulting in different colors. Layers of opal and chalcedony alternate several times to develop a concentric texture.

5. Lenticular or peanut texture

Lenticular or “peanut wood” petrified wood is formed by filling the wood’s existing cavities (holes drilled by real seashells) with other materials (opal, chalcedony, or iron hydroxide). The result is an intriguing black and white petrified wood pattern.

Interesting facts about petrified wood!

1. The first and most important fact is that petrified wood cannot be used as firewood! No matter what it looks like, petrified wood is no longer a tree. Despite its appearance, it is actually a stone!

2. Petrified Wood can be found in huge sizes (up to several meters). It’s really nice to hear from landowners digging up whole logs or even whole petrified trees! In this case, petrified wood can be used for furniture or interior decoration in the same way as normal wood. Of course, the table top will be much heavier and much more expensive.

3. Petrified wood is very hard. Its hardness can be explained by its silica composition. It sits between 7 and 8 on the Mohs hardness scale because quartz, which happens to be the main component of petrified wood, rates a 7 on the same scale. For comparison, talc is a 1 on the Mohs hardness scale and diamond (the hardest natural material) is a 10.

4. Petrified wood is not as rare a material as sapphire or diamond. It is distributed all over the world, however the quality of the material to be found varies from place to place.

5. The most famous petrified forest (Holbrook Petrified Forest) is located in the northeastern part of the state of Arizona (USA). Huge placers of the best quality petrified wood were discovered in the late 19th century. Since 1906, this area has been designated a Petrified Forest National Park. The Arizona specimens show some of the best colors and patterns found in petrified wood. Fragments of petrified wood replaced by finely crystalline quartz occur in Triassic conglomerates. The fossilized trunks of the araucaria are completely devoid of branches and twigs. The largest of them reach 65 meters in length and 3 meters in diameter!

6. Less significant deposits of petrified wood are also found in other countries such as India, Iraq, Syria, Greece (Lesvos), Georgia (Goderdz deposits), Armenia (Sariar deposit), Ukraine (Lvovskoe deposit), Kazakhstan (deposit Tuskul and Chabakty) and Russia (Volga Region, Central Siberia, Kamchatka, Chukotka and Primorsky Territory).

7. According to scientific research, the most common plant for the formation of petrified wood is araucaria (a genus of evergreen conifers).

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Learn how to color wooden beads with this easy DIY tutorial. You can use the colored beads to make garlands, decorate glass vases, make plant hangers and more.

Hi! Michelle from Our Crafty Mom is back today with a fun wooden bead craft project. Instead of leaving the beads their natural color, I wanted to dye them a classic blue to match my ever-growing collection of blue and white home decor, like my DIY beaded plant hanger.

Have you jumped on the wooden beads train yet? I have to say I am quite obsessed with wooden bead crafts. You can use them in so many different ways. A quick search on Pinterest reveals thousands of fun and unique things to do with it.

Although I like the natural color I had an idea to make a blue and natural wooden bead plant hanger – stay tuned! I’ve thought about buying colored wooden beads, but what’s the fun in that? Also, I had a huge supply of natural pearls, so I knew I could dye them for a lot less. Let’s get to this super easy project.

How to dye wooden craft beads

There are a few different ways to color wooden beads, but I try to use items I already have on hand at home during that time. I’m so glad I did because this process worked like a charm.

What you need:

Want more ideas like this? Sign up today to receive our weekly Ideas newsletter in your inbox, along with other exclusive gifts and offers – all for FREE!

Crafting Tools Required:

heat gun (optional)

Supplies are needed:

Instructions:

1. Prepare the color patch.

Pour the smudge paint into a tall plastic cup to the first line on the cup, or about 1/4 of the way full.

2. Add water.

Pour an equal amount of water into the cup and mix thoroughly.

Step 3. Color the beads.

Add a handful of wooden craft beads to the paint-filled mug. Make sure the beads are completely covered with the color mixture. Add more water if needed.

Step 4. Let the beads sit.

The color spot paint is made for projects like this, so it worked really quickly. But I let the beads sit for 30 minutes. I wanted them to be a solid blue color. However, if you want a lighter, opaque look, you can remove them after just a few minutes.

Step 5. Remove the beads to dry.

When you are happy with the coverage, use a craft stick to remove the wooden beads from the cup. I set out a large sheet pan covered with parchment paper and pressed the beads onto the pan. It is best to use parchment paper as the beads will not dry on it.

Step 6. Let the beads dry.

Let the wooden beads dry overnight or use a heat gun to speed up the process. It also helps to agitate the beads with a craft stick while drying to avoid drips. While a heat gun is optional, it definitely came in handy for this project. I was able to speed up the drying time and avoid drips.

Step 7. Repeat the process.

Continue coloring as many beads as you like. I colored about 50 because I knew I would need that many for my planned project.

Now that you have your pretty colored wooden beads you can use them to decorate frames, make wreaths, garlands and much more. Remember that DIY wooden bead plant hanger I mentioned? Here’s a little taste of it:

What’s next?

If you enjoyed these wooden bead crafts, you will also enjoy these wooden bead craft ideas.

Wooden blessing beads with oyster shells

Split wooden bead wreath

Wooden bead lampshade

You may also enjoy these bead craft ideas on Ideas for the Home by Kenarry® –

How old is petrified wood?

Petrified wood is formed when, in another era, fallen trees are washed downstream and eventually buried under layers of mud and volcanic ash and other materials. And since they were buried so well and in the perfect conditions, they were completely sealed under the mud and ash.

Air couldn’t reach the buried wood, and without oxygen, the wood couldn’t start the rotting process. But slowly… very, very slowly, the material in the tree began to decompose. And when it collapsed, voids emerged. And over the Milenia, these voids were slowly being filled with the surrounding minerals and other materials like silica, calcite, pyrite, and opal.

How old is petrified wood?

Over millions of years, these minerals that have penetrated the tissues of the buried tree clearly crystallize into the cellular structure of the wood. This crystallization process forms the rock-hard material you know as petrified wood. And although it’s no longer wood, the minerals that have crystallized in its place are taking on the appearance of the tree it replaced… down to the annual rings.

Petrified wood is over millions of years old. But that doesn’t limit it. Millions of years is a pretty big gap. Below are some examples of how old the petrified wood is in different parts of the world. It’s pretty amazing.

According to Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park website, “The trees in the Black Forest were deposited about 211 million years ago, and those in the Blue, Jasper, Crystal, and Rainbow Forests were deposited about 218 million years ago.

And The Times of India mentions that the petrified wood in the National Fossil Wood Park contains petrified wood that is 20 million years old. It also mentions that the Akai Wood Fossil Park has specimens that are a staggering 180 million years old!

But if you think that’s old, there’s an area in Brazil that has dated some of its fossilized wood specimens to be 280 million years old!

How do they determine how old petrified wood is?

But how do we really know how old petrified wood is? Well, scientists have technology that can help them determine the age of the fossilized wood sample.

According to researchgate.net, there are several ways scientists can determine how old petrified wood is.

Relative dating: By determining the age of the sedimentary rock in which a fossil is buried. Accurately dating petrified wood using this method requires a good knowledge of the geology of the area where the fossils were found.

Biostratigraphy: By dating the ages of other known organisms fossilized within the same layer. These known fossils are referred to as “index fossils.”

Radiometric dating: By calculating percentages of radioactive elements.

Not all petrified wood is ancient

Now that you’ve settled on the fact that petrified wood is millions of years old, I’m about to throw a curveball at you. Did you know that given the right conditions, some woods can begin to mineralize and start the petrification process in as little as 10 years? It’s true.

A ScienceDirect.com article observed that fresh wood samples had fallen into a hot spring and these “new” pieces of wood had already petrified.

So an experiment was done.

According to the article, “Fresh pieces of alder (Alnus pendula Matsumura) wood were placed in the hot spring water stream. Experimental wood fragments were nearly 40% by weight silicified by the deposition of amorphous silica spheres in cell lumina of wood tissue over a 7-year period.”

They go on to say that the results of this study confirm that under perfect conditions, silicified wood can form “…in periods as short as ten to hundred years.”

Final Thoughts

So I think it’s safe to say that petrified wood is millions of years old unless certain specific conditions are spot on. And every time I find a piece of petrified wood, I have to stop for a moment and think about what used to be. That the area I now call home wasn’t always like this. That the deserts of the American Southwest were once covered with forests. And palm trees once grew in the cold and rainy regions of the Pacific Northwest.

What do we see around us now that will be unearthed in 100 million years?

You might like it too…

Stoned wood

What is petrified wood?

Petrified wood is often part of a fossilized tree trunk. There are 3 types of petrified wood: petrified wood, mummified wood, and sunken forest.

Our furniture and artwork are all made from petrified wood.

What is petrified wood?

Petrified wood is a fossil in which the original organic materials (primarily wood and bark) have been replaced with minerals in a slow process called permineralization. All organic matter is filled with minerals, which then solidify while the organic matter disappears, leaving behind mineral rocks with the same structure of the original tree. This also explains why the colors of petrified wood vary so greatly depending on the minerals in the surrounding soil and water.

What is the difference between petrified and petrified wood?

Petrified wood is just one type of petrified wood. The other types of petrified wood are mummified wood and wood found in submerged forests.

How is fossil wood formed?

To become petrified, a tree must be buried in an environment with little to no oxygen. This usually happens in nature after a volcanic explosion when the tree is covered with volcanic ash. Without oxygen, the wood cannot rot.

Over time, minerals such as manganese, iron and copper penetrate the wood from the surrounding water and soil. The minerals eventually take the place of the wood, giving the now petrified wood a vibrant range of colors depending on the minerals in the surrounding soil. Pure quartz is colorless, but when combined with impurities, the quartz crystals take on different colors and tones such as yellow, orange or red. The end result is fossil wood – a colorful assemblage of minerals that takes on the exact shape of the original tree or trunk.

Petrification is the only process in the world that converts a once-living organism into a mineral while remaining visibly very similar and preserving the original structure down to microscopic detail. The process of fossilization is fundamentally different from that which produces other types of fossils, which are generally formed by compression or imprinting of the original organism in mud or soil.

How long does the fossilization process take?

In nature, fossilization can occur in as little as 5,000 to 10,000 years. Although scientists at a Washington lab have managed to quickly simulate the fossilization process, most fossilizations in nature occurred during the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods — 50 to 260 million years ago.

It may be hard to understand at times, but dinosaurs once roamed these woods!

What type of wood is petrified wood?

Most of the stones we know today date from the time of the dinosaurs and are over 100 million years old. At that time, the main tree species were araucaria, cedar, ebony, ginkgo and palm trees.