Petrified Wood for Sale
Petrified wood is another name for wood fossils or fossilized wood. A tree will fossilize under the right conditions, if they are covered by earth, sand, or volcanic ash before they rot. Water seeps through the covering earth and soaks into the wood. The water has minerals in it and wood has many tiny holes. The minerals fill these holes and results in a solid formation after many millions of years. This is called petrification. In some scenarios the tree rings can remain visible.
What is Petrified Wood?
Petrified wood is fossilized wood. It is formed by the process of permineralization. This process gradually replaces the organic material of the wood, at a cellular level, with minerals. Over millions of years, all of the wood is replaced by minerals and can often resemble stone.What makes the Colors in Petrified wood?
The quality and color of the petrified wood depends on the type of mineral, or minerals, that replace the organic material. One of the most common minerals in this process is silicate. Pure silicates are colorless. However, minerals such as manganese, iron and copper can give it a variety of hues. Here are some examples of different types of mineral deposits, and the colors they yield:
- Carbon - black
- Iron oxides - red, brown, yellow
- mangaize oxides - black/yellow
- Silicate dioxides - clear, white, greys
- Manganese - pink/orange
- Chromium, cobalt and copper yield a green/blue
Where can You Find Petrified Wood?
Fossilized wood is found all over the world. Petrified wood is created when trees or parts of trees are not subject to oxydation when they die. This happens when the wood is buried quickly as in a lanslide or lava flow, or falls and sinks into a deep lake.There are hundreds of places around the world were petrified wood can be found. There are only a few of these that have high quality material. Characteristics that collectors look for are color and the ability to take a polish. Some famous places are The Petrified Forest in Arizona, Blue Forest petrified wood near Eden Vally, Wyoming. Oregon, Texas, and California all have many good hunting spots. You can find pieces of Arizona petrified wood for sale as well as Colorado and Madagascar.
Is petrified wood valuable?
The value of petrified wood depend on quality and unique charateriseics. Some specimens are barely worth picking up. Others are highly sought after and so worth lots. Specimens from the Petrified Forest in Arizona are found in museums and fancy hotels and some buyers keep them for home decor. It is colorful and polishes beatifully. Opalized, and Blue forrest specimens are made into jewelry and even small pieces sell for a lot of money.Is it illegal to collect petrified wood?
Petrified wood can be collected legally in most places. Of course National and state parks are off limits. Collecting on private property is legal with the permission from the landowner. BLM land often requires permits. Check with local offices before you hunt on BLM land. Rules and requirements may vary from place to place.Learn more about Petrified wood here.
