About Petrified Wood

Petrified Wood: Fossilized Forests in Stone

Petrified wood is what happens when time, pressure, and the right geochemistry preserve ancient trees as stone. Over millions of years, the organic structure of the wood decays—but in its place, minerals slowly seep in, molecule by molecule, replicating the tree’s internal structure in stone.

Most petrified wood is replaced by silica—the same mineral that makes up quartz crystals—but other minerals like carbonate-fluorapatite and various iron oxides can also do the job, creating vivid colors and distinct patterns. The result? Fossil wood that still shows growth rings, bark textures, and even cellular structure—just frozen in time.

High-quality lapidary-grade petrified wood is almost always silica-based, which is why it takes a high polish and shows incredible detail and color.

Quick Facts:

• What it is: Fossil wood, mineralized cell by cell

• Most common mineral: Silica (quartz)

• Other minerals: Fluorapatite, calcite, iron oxides

• Polishing: Takes a high shine if silica-based

• Colors: Earth tones, reds, golds, greens—depends on mineral content

• Formation time: Often tens of millions of years

Whether it’s from the deserts of the Southwest or a long-lost forest halfway across the globe, petrified wood is a window into Earth’s ancient ecosystems, preserved in stone.

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