Fabricator Login
× Close

Welcome to our blog

Sharing beautiful stone surfaces, solid facts, new arrivals & more

Share:

From Fossil to Your Countertop: All About Petrified Wood

July 26, 2018

From Fossil to Countertop: All About Petrified Wood | The Stone Collection

What is Petrified Wood and How Does it Form?

Petrified Wood is a special type of fossil, its name meaning “wood turned into stone”.  Formed over millions of years when plant material is buried by sediment and protected from decay by oxygen and organisms, Petrified Wood undergoes a process known as permineralization to become a fossil. Ground water rich in dissolved solids flows through the sediment, replacing the original plant material with inorganic material. The result is Petrified Wood — a plant with its basic structure replaced by stone. Unique and rare conditions must be met for a log to be transformed into Petrified Wood.

Where Can Petrified Wood be Found?

Large forests and fields of Petrified Wood have been found in many areas of the world — from Australia all the way to North America — including the Western states of Arizona, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. One of the most well-known collections of Petrified Wood is located in Petrified Wood Forest Park, in Northeastern Arizona. Today, park visitors can observe, but collecting of any specimens is prohibited.

How does Petrified Wood Become a Stone Slab?

Petrified Wood suitable for a stone slab is hand selected and brought back for careful inspection. The chosen fossil must be generally free of any fractures or cracks in order to be suitable for a slab. Petrified Wood logs are then individually cut and bound with a resin, transforming into a slab through a combination of Mother Nature and highly skilled craftsmanship.

Petrified Wood slabs are a part of our Semi-Precious Collection, offered in hues of Yellow, Black, and Brown. Exotic minerals found in the makeup of the specimen make these colors possible. Petrified Wood slab can be installed as a countertop, backsplash, wall application or flooring.

Petrified Wood is said to be a grounding and protecting stone, as well as bringing feelings of well-being, safety and security. We invite you to stop in any of our 5 showrooms and view this work of art in slab form, along with thousands of others, no appointment necessary!