Petrified Wood (Fossilized Wood)
Arizona, USA
20.95 carats
© wolfelapidary.com
It is mostly used for ornamental objects and decorative pieces (tabletops, ashtrays, bookends), less frequently for jewelry purposes.
Petrified Wood Gemstones by Colour
This table shows the variety of hues this gemstone can be found in. Click on a photo for more information.
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Petrified Wood Gemstones by Size
This table shows distribution of Petrified Wood gemstone sizes that are listed on this site. This can give a good indication as to the general availability of this gemstone in different sizes.
Contributed photos
Lightest:11.00 cts
Heaviest:72.60 cts
Average:29.38 cts
Total photos:21
Do you have a larger Petrified Wood? Why not upload a photo?
| General Information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A variety or type of: | Chalcedony, which is a variety of Quartz | ||||||||||||||
| Chemical Formula |
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| Physical Properties of Petrified Wood | |||||||||||||||
| Mohs Hardness | 6.5 to 7, Gemstones of the world (2001) | ||||||||||||||
| Specific Gravity | 2.58 to 2.91, Gemstones of the world (2001) | ||||||||||||||
| Cleavage Quality | None, Gemstones of the world (2001) | ||||||||||||||
| Fracture | Uneven,Splintery, Gemstones of the world (2001) | ||||||||||||||
| Optical Properties of Petrified Wood | |||||||||||||||
| Refractive Index | About 1.54, Gemstones of the world (2001) | ||||||||||||||
| Birefringence | Weak or none, Gemstones of the world (2001) | ||||||||||||||
| Pleochroism | Absent, Gemstones of the world (2001) | ||||||||||||||
| Dispersion | None, Gemstones of the world (2001) | ||||||||||||||
| Colour | |||||||||||||||
| Colour (General) | Mostly dull gray or brown, sometimes red, pink, light brown, yellow, and even blue to violet., Gemstones of the world (2001) | ||||||||||||||
| Transparency | Opaque, Gemstones of the world (2001) | ||||||||||||||
| Fluorescence & other light emissions | |||||||||||||||
| Fluorescence (General) | None, Gemstones of the world (2001) | ||||||||||||||
| Crystallography of Petrified Wood | |||||||||||||||
| Crystal System | Trigonal, Gemstones of the world (2001) | ||||||||||||||
| Habit | Microcrystalline aggregate, Gemstones of the world (2001) | ||||||||||||||
| Geological Environment | |||||||||||||||
| Where found: | Well-preserved petrification occurs only where trees after their death are quickly covered with fine-grained sedimentary rock. Thus the outer structure of the wood is preserved in a negative form within the enclosing rock. Circulating waters loosen and decompose the organic substances and replace them with mineral substances. Sometimes this process is successive (from removal and adding of substances) so that the inner structural elements of the wood, the annuals rings, the structure of the cells, even wormholes, are preserved. It can also happen that the appearance is totally changed by the crystallization process., Gemstones of the world (2001) | ||||||||||||||
| Further Information | |||||||||||||||
| Mineral information: | Petrified Wood information at mindat.org | ||||||||||||||
| Significant Gem Localities | |||||||||||||||
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