Madagascar Petrified Wood Beads

More About Madagascar Petrified Wood

Petrified wood (from the Greek word “petro”, meaning “stone”) doesn’t actually contain any wood at all! It is actually stone, usually a silicate mineral such as chalcedony, that has replaced the structure of a tree that died millions of years ago. The petrification process occurs underground, when wood becomes buried under sediment. Water flowing through the sediment deposits minerals in the plant's cells and as the cells decay, stone takes its place. Petrified wood can preserve the original structure of the ancient wood in all its detail, down to the microscopic level. Structures such as tree rings and the various tissues can often be observed. Elements such as manganese, iron and copper in the sediment during the petrification process give petrified wood its various colors.