Petrified Wood

About Petrified Wood

Petrified wood is a fossil — ancient trees that have been completely replaced by minerals, molecule by molecule, over millions of years. The original wood structure, including growth rings, bark texture, and even insect bore-holes, is preserved in extraordinary detail, but the organic material has been entirely replaced by quartz (SiO₂) and other minerals.

Formation & Origin

Petrification occurs when fallen trees are rapidly buried under volcanic ash, sediment, or flood deposits, cutting off oxygen and preventing decay. Over thousands to millions of years, mineral-rich groundwater percolates through the wood, gradually replacing the organic cellulose with silica. Trace minerals create the colours: iron oxides produce reds and browns, manganese creates pink and orange, and chromium yields green. The process is so precise that individual cell walls are often visible under a microscope.

Why Petrified Wood for Interiors

Petrified wood bridges the gap between the organic warmth of wood and the permanence of stone. It brings natural grain patterns, knots, and growth rings into a material that is as hard as granite (Mohs 7) and impervious to moisture, insects, and rot. Cross-section slices make stunning table tops that tell a story hundreds of millions of years old. Slab-cut pieces create feature walls with unmistakable character.

Age and Provenance

The petrified wood we source ranges from 20 million to over 200 million years old. Indonesian specimens are typically Miocene-era hardwoods (15-20 million years), while Arizonan specimens from the Petrified Forest date to the Triassic period (over 200 million years). Each piece comes with documentation of its geological age and origin.