What does petrified wood mean?

Petrified wood is an ancient stone that is considered one of the most beautiful natural materials. In its creation, nature worked twice, creating the tree, and then turning it into solid rock. Hardness and strength are inherent in stone wood as well as semi-precious stones. It is endowed with all the colors of the rainbow and has the most incredible combinations of them. As well as unusual patterns typical of plants. Since antiquity, fossilized trees have been widely used as decorative material. It was used to make a variety of boxes, tabletops, handles, vases, shelves, and other three-dimensional products for decorating premises, souvenirs, and jewelry. How did petrified wood appear and what does it look like? If a forest area instantly finds itself in the bowels of the earth, for example, during a volcanic eruption it is covered with ash, the trees will eventually become stone. This is due to the fact that without oxygen exposure in organic synthesis the process of oxidation (rotting) does not occur. Tree fossils are more often found in places where volcanic eruptions have occurred. With increased pressure, inorganic compounds, such as quartz, penetrate into the cells of plants that are underground. When metal penetrates plant cells (copper, chromium, cobalt, iron), bright color pigments are formed. After several million years, cellulose and lignin completely disappear, and silicic acid salts with impurities appear in their place. The tree turns into stone. The structure of the trunk and its pattern remain on it, which are completely preserved, and you can even see the growth rings. Petrified wood is a rock that is not a plant and has no organic compounds. Petrified wood is hundreds of millions of years old. What is opal vein petrified wood? In reality, these are the same fossils, where the replacement substance is opal. Opal is a mineraloid and is widely used in jewelry. He is so beautiful that it is difficult to take your eyes off him! How to identify petrified wood and differentiate from a fake? Petrified wood is a mineral that took several hundred million years to form. Organic matter is completely replaced by minerals. Such stone sometimes contains inclusions, and it is quite rare to find a fossilized insect. The most valuable properties of petrified wood are unusual colors and bright colors, also fossilized rocks with intricate textures resulting from the unevenness of the tree bark, and fossils that have traces of pronounced growth rings, plant structures, etc. Fossils should be uniform and of medium hardness, and should not flake or break apart. Petrified wood products come in a variety of uses. Jewelry is often made from young, small trees, and objects for interior decoration are made from more massive and large trees: tables, washbasins, shelves, etc. Especially valuable types of fossils are those that are easy to recognize, otherwise the product will look like an ordinary sedimentary mineral structure. Low-grade breeds are often used as decorative elements, but their cost is much lower. Jewelry made from wood fossils requires careful handling. To avoid scratches and chips, such jewelry should be stored separately. Such products are not afraid of high solar temperatures and insects. Jewelry using inserts must be cleaned of dust. To clean the products you will need a soap solution and a soft cloth. In addition to the fact that petrified wood is a beautiful material, it contains mineral formations in its structure, which gives it special properties. Since ancient times, stone wood has protected a person from the evil eye and negative energy influences. Petrified wood is a powerful amulet that serves as a shield from fateful blows. It gives a person mental strength, helps to endure hardships, dispels illusions, and helps to sensibly assess what is happening. There is an opinion that such material attracts wealth, prosperity and prosperity. There is also a claim that exposure to this material increases human immunity, prolongs life and preserves youth. The impact of petrified wood is useful for people with psychological disorders; it normalizes their condition. It is also beneficial for joints; it should be applied to sore spots. Petrified wood shares its experience of long existence with humanity. The most beautiful natural material. Nature worked twice – first by creating a tree, and then turning it into stone. The pattern is never repeated. Strength and hardness – like a semi-precious stone. All the colors of the rainbow in the most incredible combinations. Magnificent patterns characteristic of plants.

What is it and how did it appear?

If the forest quickly goes underground (for example, it is covered with ash during a volcanic eruption), then the trees will not rot, but will petrify. Organic compounds do not oxidize (that is, do not rot) without exposure to oxygen, but are gradually decomposed into their components. Due to high pressure, inorganic compounds such as quartz enter the cells of buried plants. The brightest colors are obtained when metals enter the cell – copper, chromium, cobalt, iron. In a few million years, cellulose and lignin will completely disappear. Their places will be taken by silicates with impurities. The tree will turn into stone. But the structure of the trunk and the pattern will be completely preserved. It will even be possible to distinguish the growth rings.

Petrified wood

A petrified tree is no longer a plant, but a stone. It contains no organic compounds. The sediment settled in the form of cells. The wood acted as a form for the stone and provided some carbon to create even richer and more intricate colors. The scientific name for petrified wood is petrified (from the Greek word petro, meaning stone).

How to tell a real fossil from a fake

• Bright colors and play of colors.
• Intricate texture. The main thing is that it has a pronounced plant character (growth rings, knots, bark irregularities, etc.).
• Medium hardness and uniformity. The fossil should not flake or disintegrate easily.
• The overall size of the fossil and the size of the plant that formed it. Small plants (young trees) can only be used to make decorations. And the larger ones include tables, washbasins and even mantelpieces.

It is important that anyone recognizes a tree at first sight. Otherwise, the specimen will be considered only an ordinary sedimentary mineral structure. Yes, it can also be used as a decorative element. But the cost will be several times lower.

For a material to be called “petrified wood”, it must have the following properties:

1. Have a well-preserved three-dimensional structure of the plant that formed it.
2. Come from a different geological era. At a minimum – from the Pleistocene (now we live in the Holocene era, which began about 120 years ago). But this is rare, most fossils have come to us from the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras, that is, they are already from 000 million to 66 million years old. Theoretically, a tree can petrify in 500 years. But such samples will not have the required hardness. They will disintegrate under slight pressure and are not suitable for the production of decorative elements. The older the petrified wood, the higher its value.
3. Have as many metal inclusions as possible. Quartz crystals are colorless, but metal oxides color the fossil like a child’s coloring book:
   • Manganese makes it pink or even orange. And its oxide is all shades of yellow, right down to the darkest.
   • Iron occurs only in oxide. Gives all shades of brown – from brown, almost black, to yellow.
   • Copper, depending on the state of oxidation, produces colors ranging from green to blue.
   • Chrome and cobalt are also painted blue-green, but with different shades.
   • The remains of organic compounds produce carbon, which forms all shades of gray and black.
4. Mined from one of the famous petrified forests. There are many such places in the world, but each of them has its own individual characteristics.
5. Handled by an experienced artist. The petrified tree itself is just a piece of stone, albeit a beautiful color with an original texture. But to turn it into an expensive finishing material, you need to be creative. Select the brightest elements and give them the desired shape. Very few people know how to work with stone, so some things made from fossils have high artistic value.

History

The material looks exactly like wood, but has the properties of stone. This discrepancy caused a sharp dissonance in the psyche of ancient people. Therefore, in all cultures, in all countries of the world, healing and even magical properties are attributed to fossils. Since ancient times, shamanic artifacts and other religious objects have been made from it. In reality, of course, the fossil is no different from other minerals. It will not save you from illnesses and will not bring you good luck. But she looks beautiful, always unique and mysterious.

Surprisingly, ancient artifacts created from fossils still excite the imagination of narrow-minded people. Fraudsters and conspiracy theorists are trying to pass off these crafts made of stone with a wood structure as something incredible. What is not attributed to them is alien origin, magical powers, and even influence on fate.

Mystery of a national park in Arizona, USA

This place is called Petrified Forest, which translates as “petrified forest.” Perhaps the largest petrified forest on our planet, the total area is more than 380 square kilometers.

The park is a traditional place of pilgrimage for all who believe in “magic crystals” and other anti-scientific theories. After all, here you can collect fossils, even the most beautiful ones, in unlimited quantities. And completely free. And if you don’t want to look, you can buy good samples in one of the many souvenir shops.

But the park administration receives hundreds of parcels every year with the return of artifacts. Buyers complain that the fossils “didn’t work” and didn’t turn them into lucky beauties and millionaires.

Ancient Greeks – forest on the island of Lesbos

The second largest in the world (about 150 square kilometers), it is the best preserved. The trees here were petrified in an upright position as they grew. The tallest plant is 7,2 meters.

The first written mention of petrified trees in history refers to this park. The ancient Greek philosopher and scientist Theophrastus wrote about it in the 3rd-4th centuries BC. Today there is a natural history museum here.

Baigun pipes

In 1996, in the territory of the Haixi-Mongolian-Tibetan Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China, round formations emerging from the rock of Mount Baigongshan were accidentally discovered. They looked a lot like water pipes:

• They consisted almost entirely of iron.
• They had a smooth cylindrical shape.
• The diameter of the “pipes” is from 2 to 40 centimeters.

Twelve years after the discovery, when the Chinese government opened the region to visitors, an article was published in one of the newspapers. Journalists reported that the age of the pipes predates the beginning of iron processing by humans by at least 5000 years. Based on this, they concluded that the artifacts were created by an alien civilization.

The government supported this version and immediately began to develop tourism infrastructure. The slopes of the mountain very quickly turned into a place of pilgrimage for lovers of extraterrestrial civilizations. Hotel and restaurant owners counted their income and wrote reports on the economic recovery in the poor province.

However, very quickly scientists refuted the story of the “alien” origin of the “pipes”. Of course, these were not pipes, but petrified trees. The places of plant cells were filled with iron ore.

Interestingly, similar artifacts are found in the USA, in the state of Colorado. Only there no one thought of attributing their creation to extraterrestrial civilizations.

Contemporaneity

Nowadays, petrified wood is an excellent finishing material. Petrified trees are valuable because:

• The pattern, colors, texture are never repeated. Like a living plant.
• Durability and other characteristics, like stone. And it looks like a tree.
• The material was created by nature over millions of years. A living book of the history of our planet.
• It is odorless, resistant to insects, moisture and fungi. The products will be stored for centuries without changing their properties at all.
• Products made from this material are rare. Therefore, they always attract attention and interest.
• Large selection – wood is mined all over the world. The samples are very different from each other, while possessing the same properties.

Petrified trees are used to make everything from jewelry (rings, bracelets, necklaces) to furniture (tables, countertops, shelves, even cabinets) and interior elements (mantels and frames, wall panels and even steps).

The price of small items (for example, pendants or other jewelry) depends more on the fame of the artist than on the cost of the material. But even the smallest souvenir rarely costs less than $50.

Cylindrical parts of petrified tree trunks are sold by weight. They are relatively inexpensive – from $2,5 per kilogram. But it looks cheap only at first glance. Firstly, the material is very heavy, so the price can already be considered high. And, secondly, during processing, a large “deck” can split or even crumble and only a small part of it will turn into a product.

“Boards,” that is, flat panels of petrified wood, sell for prices ranging from $100 to $1000 per square meter. The cost mainly depends on the size and thickness of each piece. Color and texture also matter.
Some large specimens are sold only at auction; their cost can reach tens of thousands of dollars.

Uniformity is highly valued. If the supplier has a large number of identical panels, he charges at least $500 per square meter.

trees

Petrified wood is not usually divided into types. After all, strictly speaking, it is a mineral structure, a stone, and not a tree. And it would be difficult – most types of fossil plants have not even been classified by scientists. Therefore, it is sold as a finishing material.

There are not even differences in the place of production. After all, specimens obtained from the same petrified forest can be very different from each other. Therefore, the material is sold in separate samples and small homogeneous batches. Each time the product is unique in its color and texture.

As processing methods improve and demand grows, new types and types appear. For example, craftsmen have already learned how to make large panels and wall panels made from small pieces of petrified wood.

And Chinese manufacturers have learned to make large panels by pressing them from small elements. Of course, this is no longer exactly the material that we call “petrified wood.” But overall they are doing well.

There is still some classification of fossils as a commodity group. But the material is divided rather according to the degree of readiness for use.

Cylindrical elements – “decks” of fossilized tree trunks

The cheapest and most common copies. In some petrified forests you can collect them yourself. Completely unprocessed or minimally processed. They usually range from 30 to 70 centimeters in height. They can be used as separate interior elements or as a semi-finished product from which something more interesting can be made.

In addition to size, the price is greatly influenced by the “plant” appearance. The more a cylindrical stone resembles a tree trunk, the more plant elements left in it, the higher its price will be.

Individual small elements

Raw materials for the production of souvenirs, jewelry and pressed items. The cheapest material. But the cost of some copies can be very high due to their high artistic value.

Discs – cutting the “trunk” of petrified wood

The second most common commercial type of petrified wood. As a rule, the surface is sanded, sometimes it is varnished to obtain greater shine. The most important feature that affects the price is the presence of growth rings. The more pronounced they are, the more expensive the copy is.

They are used as self-sufficient decorative elements or as a semi-finished product for more complex products. Large-sized discs can be used as tabletops. They are expensive.

Square or rectangular panels obtained by pressing small elements of petrified wood

An excellent material for the production of tables, wall panels and other large decorative elements. An average-priced product, the price depends on the size and quality of execution. The better the plant elements are visible, the higher the cost of the specimen.

Tables made from pressed petrified wood will perfectly complement any interior.

Square or rectangular panels cut from a single piece of fossil

An expensive material, it is perfect for the production of luxury furniture, primarily tabletops. A prerequisite is that the panel must look like a piece of wood. Plant characteristics must be clearly expressed. Otherwise, it will not differ from the decorative stone of the average price category.

Fossil miners primarily try to obtain these elements. And what remains after they are cut out will be pressed or sold as souvenirs.

Large, massive elements

Oddly enough, large pieces of fossils are valued less than flat panels. About $1000 per copy. Washbasins, toilets, fireplace frames and column porticos are made from them. In fact, they are sold as a high-quality decorative stone.

Petrified wood production

Extraction

It is collected in petrified forests as a decorative stone. In some places it can be mined by quarrying. Large logs that are difficult to transport are cut into smaller pieces on site.

The main difficulty is to find structures in which their plant elements are clearly visible. There are a lot of fossils, they are literally lying under your feet. But some crumble right in your hands or even during processing.

Otherwise, the extraction of petrified wood is not much different from the extraction of other types of decorative stone.

Primary processing and drying

Of course, there is no need to dry petrified wood. Primary processing comes down to cutting in order to obtain parts as large in area as possible and grinding. It has its own secrets and subtleties. Very few people know how to properly handle this kind of mineral structures.

Any sculptor can chop off a piece of stone or carve a figure out of it. But only experienced professionals can keep large heterogeneous structures intact.

Wholesale and transportation

The main supplier of fossils as material for the production of furniture and decorative elements is China. There are no more petrified forests in this country than in other parts of the globe. But the local government does not seek to create natural parks where collecting even small stones is prohibited. On the contrary, Chinese officials strongly encourage the extraction of fossils, their processing and export.

Therefore, up to 60% of all raw materials are supplied to international markets from China. And finished products are produced on site. Interestingly, the fossils are transported in wooden boxes. Although mineral structures are quite strong, they can break into small pieces when dropped or hit. Therefore, individual slabs are packed in wooden boxes filled with shock-absorbing material. For example, sawdust.

Petrified wood furniture production

Petrified wood is mainly used to make countertops. Moreover, for this, not only even square and rectangular slabs are used, but also disks into which “trunks” are cut. The larger and more uniform the surface, the higher the value of the finished product.

The process itself is not much different from working with decorative stone. The same tools are used – cutters, grinders.

The finished table can be coated with colorless varnish to highlight the natural beauty of the minerals with shine.

Items made from pressed slabs are cheaper, but in quality and beauty they are not much inferior to items made from solid pieces. They usually measure 1,2 by 2,4 meters or 0,6 by 0,6 meters.

Fossil tables

Recently, tea tables have come into fashion, in which you can change the height of the tabletop in a wide range. In Shanghai and Hong Kong, they have already become a stylish interior element, well suited for both home and office. The variable height allows the table to be used both as a tea table, when guests sit around on sofas, and as a dining table, when guests sit on high chairs. In any case, it turns out very convenient.

Often the main focus is on the tabletop made of petrified wood, and all other elements of the table are made of chromed steel or other simple material. They are made as thin as possible and hidden from view to highlight the natural beauty of the stone.

An original solution is lighting installed under the tabletop. A thin slab of petrified wood allows light to pass through in places. It all looks as if the tabletop is “on fire.” It turns out very stylish.

Fossil elements are well suited for decorating furniture intended for storing and drinking expensive wines. They are used to decorate wine cabinets and tasting tables. The material gives the interior a spirit of antiquity, which emphasizes the nobility of the drinks.

Caring for petrified wood furniture

The principles here are the same as when working with decorative stone. Fossil furniture is not afraid of insects, moisture or direct sunlight. It is enough to wipe it from dust from time to time and protect it from falls and chips.