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PETRIFIED WOOD
Petrified wood (from the Greek root "petro" meaning "rock" or "stone", literally "wood turned into stone") is a type of fossil. It consists of fossil wood where all the organic materials have been replaced with minerals (most often a silicate, such as quartz), while retaining the original structure of the wood. (Continued, below...)
The petrifaction process occurs underground, when wood becomes buried under sediment and is initially preserved due to a lack of oxygen. Mineral-rich water flowing through the sediment deposits minerals in the plant's cells and as the plant's lignin and cellulose decay away, a stone mould forms in its place. It probably takes less than 100 years for wood to petrify.
Elements such as manganese, iron and copper in the water/mud during the petrification process give petrified wood a variety of color ranges. Pure quartz crystals are colorless, but when contaminants are added to the process the crystals take on a yellow, red, or other tint. These contaminating elements produce the related color hues:
* carbon - black
* cobalt - green/blue
* chromium - green/blue
* copper - green/blue
* iron oxides - red, brown, and yellow
* manganese - pink/orange
* manganese oxides - black/yellow
Petrified wood can preserve the original structure of the wood in all its detail, down to the microscopic level. Structures such as tree rings and the various tissues are often observed features. Petrified wood has a Mohs hardness of 7, the same as quartz. It is the provincial stone of Alberta and also the state gem of Washington.
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 Petrified wood log - Arizona
 Petrified wood polished slab
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