Petrified wood, also known as agatized wood, is a type of wood formed from ancient forests subjected to volcanic activity. The wood gets buried in lava for millions of years and becomes petrified. Petrified wood possesses the qualities of gemstones. Therefore, on the Mohs hardness scale, it ranks just below diamond.
These petrified tree trunks primarily existed during the Triassic and Jurassic periods, approximately 100 to 250 million years ago.
In areas where trees have been buried for millions of years, various minerals are found beneath the lava layer, a result of volcanic eruptions.
These minerals will permeate the wood’s vascular system. At this point, the wood’s structure is replaced by inorganic minerals such as quartz, opal, and chalcedony.
Depending on the minerals replacing the wood fibers, various types of petrified wood are formed with different properties and hardness levels.
The colors of petrified wood are diverse, including gray and brown, which are the most common.
There are also red, orange-yellow, and black varieties. Among these, the rarest is turquoise.
Western theologians believe that it originated from decayed wood, which, after undergoing quartzification, transformed into a gemstone, thus giving petrified wood sustainable, long-lasting, and eternal magnetic properties.
Petrified wood is currently found in many places around the world: Indonesia, Australia, Myanmar, the United States…
The value of petrified wood is classified according to the minerals contained within it and the type of tree that has been fossilized.
Opal petrified wood.
Agate petrified wood.
Louisiana palm wood.
Peanut wood.
There are nearly a dozen different types of petrified trees worldwide, and many types remain unidentified.
A farmer in Bibinsan village, Magway town, in the Magway region of Myanmar uncovered a rare agatized wood tree approximately 30.5 meters long, with a circumference of about 6 meters, valued at up to 55 billion kyats (equivalent to over 600 billion VND).
In Vietnam, agatized wood has been found in places like Lạng Sơn, the Central Highlands, and Phú Yên…
Agatized wood is highly favored by collectors.
Agatized wood is often displayed in its raw form and used for ornamental crafts.
