Sage-Tips

Can you shape petrified wood?

You can easily slice some of your petrified wood into slabs to see the internal beauty of both the original wood structure and its mineral alteration. You may have to obtain a wet saw with a larger blade radius to cut larger pieces of petrified wood.

What can petrified wood be used for?

Petrified wood can assist anyone who is feeling stuck or experiencing being frozen in time. It helps to create balance and offers a foundation from which to launch new goals or undertake a different path. Petrified wood is also a wonderful grounding stone. It helps to calm scattered energies.

What does petrified wood turn into?

Wood is preserved from decomposition by rapid entombment in mud, particularly mud formed from volcanic ash. The wood is then mineralized to transform it to stone.

Can you break petrified wood?

Petrified Wood is an absolutely perfect addition to both aquariums as well as terrariums. It can be polished, tumbled, broken, or simply used as is. The fact that its inert means it’s safe to use and perfect for beginners.

What do you cut petrified wood with?

Use a wet saw that will accommodate the size and thickness of your petrified wood log. Some fossil shops, such as Marks Petrified Wood, use custom-made motorized saws, while others use large-scale rock cutters fitted with diamond blade saws. Position your wet saw to accommodate the heavy load of petrified wood.

Is it illegal to own petrified wood?

Petrified wood is a fossil, and it is legally protected in the United States. You can also collect petrified wood on private property (not the one rented from the State) if you get permission from the owner of the land.

Does petrified wood have any healing properties?

This stone helps with mental longevity. It has the ability to soothe emotions, generate calm, and dispel stress. When a Petrified Wood is near, all your fears will simply disappear. Petrified Wood is a very healing and grounding stone that fills you with feelings of security.

Can petrified wood get wet?

Yes, petrified wood can get wet.

Does petrified wood raise pH?

Petrified Wood is not known to dramatically alter aquarium pH or hardness, but some claim that it can raise these parameters over time. As with similar stones, this can easily be offset by regular water changes and the use of driftwood in the aquarium.

Is petrified wood radioactive?

Yes, petrified wood is radioactive, but it is not dangerous. With petrified wood, the energy rays of radiation are not high enough to cause harm or damage to the human system, but they are there. Learn more about that here.

How is petrified wood made?

Typically, petrified wood takes millions of years to naturally produce, as minerals seep into the wood and replace the wood cells. The end product is a strong, hard mineral block in the shape of wood that holds the durability and fireproof qualities of rock.

Can petrified wood be used for lapidary work?

Small pieces of petrified wood can be placed in a rock tumbler to make tumbled stones. Only a small fraction of petrified wood is suitable for lapidary work. Poorly preserved specimens, those with lots of voids or closely-spaced fractures do not polish well or break while being worked.

Can you remove petrified wood from private property?

Before you remove petrified wood (or other rocks, minerals or fossils) from private land make sure that you have permission from the property owner, and, before removing from public land make sure that collecting is allowed. Opalized Wood: A nice piece of opalized wood from Oregon.

What happens to a petrified log when it weathers away?

When the Chinle weathers away, the log will be lowered to the ground surface. Image by Petrified Forest National Park. Petrified wood: A nice piece of petrified wood representing a limb cross section. This specimen shows the growth rings, cellular structure, and external bark.