sedimentary

Petrified Wood / Jasper Chert

Silicified Wood / Microcrystalline Quartz (SiO2)

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

Hardness: 6.5 - 7 on Mohs scale. Color: reddish-brown, tan, cream, and yellow hues with fine banding or cellular structure. Luster: waxy to vitreous. Cleavage: none (conchoidal fracture). Specific Gravity: 2.6 - 2.65.

Hardness: 6
Luster: waxy to vitreous

Identified July 25, 2026More sedimentary →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed through permineralization, where organic wood material was buried rapidly under sediment and replaced molecule by molecule with silica-rich groundwater, often during the Triassic to Tertiary periods.

Uses & applications

Used primarily for lapidary work, jewelry, cabochons, decorative ornaments, and as educational or geological collection specimens.

Geological facts

Petrified wood can retain cellular wood structures down to the microscopic level, allowing paleobotanists to identify species of prehistoric trees that lived millions of years ago.

Field identification & locations

Identified in the field by its blocky or fibrous grain texture reminiscent of wood combined with a high hardness (scratches steel). Commonly found in sedimentary basins, ancient riverbeds, and gravel deposits worldwide (e.g., Arizona Petrified Forest).