Spiritual: Petrified Wood is a wonderful stone for grounding and transformation in every aspect of our lives. It gently nudges us into alignment, with our feet firmly planted on the good Earth and our heads held high to the sky. Petrified Wood is particularly good for people with natural gifts in Earth magic/medicine or anyone who wants to deepen their connection to the natural world. It also makes an excellent talisman for past-life healing and recall, as well as for deepening our ancestral connections. Petrified Wood is attuned to the Root and Third Eye Chakras and linked to the astrological sign of Leo. It is connected to the elements of Earth and vibrates to the number 77.
Emotional: Petrified Wood has a very soothing and calm energy. It dissolves false images and emotional fears, and helps us get firmly rooted back in reality. Petrified Wood teaches us patience, and that slow and steady growth will often serve us best. Rather than struggling to change, it encourages us to find the flow that matches our natural strengths so that change is relatively easy. It reminds us that transformation is rarely instantaneous, but if we trust ourselves and take baby steps, change will happen. During times of stress or depression, Petrified Wood helps us focus on what is most important and to find that quiet place of peace and serenity that resides deep within us.
Mental: Petrified Wood reminds us to keep it simple. It encourages us to take time to relax and just be in the moment. Petrified Wood is particularly useful for examining long-held belief systems and patterns. It helps us determine whether these beliefs and patterns still serve us, and if not, then it assists us in gently releasing them. Petrified Wood helps us to “stop sweating the small stuff” and focus our attention on the things that are within our power and worth our time to positively influence.
Physical: Petrified Wood is believed to be one of the very best stones for stabilizing health. It is said to help soothe nerves and stimulate the metabolism. It is also believed to help cleanse and balance the liver and gallbladder. It is most often used by metaphysical healers to strengthen the back and provide alignment for the skeletal system.
Always use wisdom when considering crystal therapies for healing.
Mineralogy of Petrified Wood
Petrified Forest National Park, AZ, USA
Rock Type: Fossil, Mineral Preservation
Color: Varies widely depending on locality Gravity: 2.58-2.91 Hardness: 6.5-7 Luminescence: Varies depending on locality, often Purple (long wave) / Green (short wave) Texture: Bark/wood texture, vitreous when polished Transparency: Opaque
Location: The largest occurrence of petrified wood is near Holbrook, Arizona in the United States. However, this area is protected as a National Park and it is illegal to mine or remove any fossils. Smaller deposits exist in several locations around the world. The most important are in Australia, Argentina, Egypt, Greece, India, Madagascar, Mongolia, Namibia, and the United States.
Rock Type: Petrified Wood is a fossil, a remnant or impression of an organism which lived in the past. Fossils come in many different forms and, depending on what is being preserved, the fossilization process can also be very different. In the case of Petrified Wood, the wood is completely replaced by minerals. In fact, the mineralization process can be so exacting that it literally replaces the wood with minerals on a cell by cell basis. As a result the detail of the original organism is preserved exactly.
Formation: Petrified wood is the fossilized remains of ancient trees which flourished millions of years ago. Typically when a tree dies, it decomposes relatively quickly, leaving no trace behind. But occasionally, a tree may fall into a river or be swept away in a flood. When this happens there is a chance that the tree may be quickly covered with fine-grained sedimentary materials, such as clay or ash. As the wood decomposes, its outer structure is preserved and replaced by various silica minerals found in the sediment, including Jasper, Chalcedony, and less frequently, Opal. These crystals create the rainbow of colors found in petrified wood. While any tree can potentially be fossilized, most Petrified Woods are a type of conifer tree, similar to modern Pine, Fir, and Redwood trees.
Mining: Typically mined from the primary deposits which still have their original relationship with the host rock. In some locations, whole logs and even entire trees may be found.
Petrified Forest National Park, USA
Enhancements: While Petrified Wood has been artificially produced in a lab in the United States, all tumbled Petrified Wood on the market is fully natural, enhanced only by tumbling, cutting, and polishing.
Petrified Wood is found in locations worldwide and has many myths associated with it. One of the most interesting myths belongs to the Apache Tribe in the American Southwest. This region is home to Petrified Forest National Park, the largest deposit of petrified wood in the world.
According to legend, in the beginning days wood did not burn and so the People had to live in the cold and eat their food raw. One day the trickster god, Coyote, decided it was time for a change. He tied a torch to his tail and began to run all over the world, deliberately lighting forests on fire! All over the world, trees burst into flames. Because while they may have been immune to “normal fire,” this was “trickster fire,” a divine element far more potent and powerful! Coyote’s tail swung back and forth, touching trees as he ran. Not wanting to light the entire world on fire, he kept his tail from touching rocks. As a result of this wild run, trees are now flammable while rocks remain impervious to flames.
Of course, Coyote missed a few trees along the way, and sometimes even whole forests. Since these ancient trees weren’t touched by divine fire, they remain fire-proof to this day.
I have been doing business with this source since the earliest days in my business. They are a major tumbling company and have more varieties, in more sizes, than any other known source. The owners visit many small and industrial-size mines personally. For artisanal-mined deposits in sub-Sahara Africa, the owners work with Gem Dealers who deal directly with the part-time miners. The majority of these Gem Dealers are women.
Some, but not all, of their stones are labeled with country-of-origin. For those that aren’t, I have to ask the owners personally. They tend to get impatient with questions. As I’ve learned more about mining practices in individual countries, I have become increasingly selective about what I will purchase from them. However, they remain my preferred source for most of sub-Sahara Africa.
Safe Handling of Petrified Wood
Petrified Wood Tumbled Stone
Color: Multicolored, mainly red and brown. This is a 100% natural stone, so minor variations are part of their unique beauty.
Size: 1 inch, or a little bit bigger
Weight: 1 oz
Shipping: Next business day – Domestic First Class averages 3-7 days. International First Class averages 2-3 weeks.
Reviews
Annette S. (Ohio) –
I have received and absolutely LOVE my new crystals! They are not only beautiful but seem so harmonious with me as well as each other
Jen R. (Florida) –
Beautiful Stone!
Carol F. (Alabama) –
Really beautiful pieces and exactly the sizes I was looking for!
Jennifer R. (Georgia) –
Love the colors! Thanks
Francesca M. (Italy) –
many thanks I got it and it’s beautiful!!!!
Anne-Sophie R. (Paris, France) –
So so beautiful petrified wood!!! Thank you so much 🙂
Kristy H. (Michigan) –
Beautiful. I love the markings and being able to see the tree rings. Also, thanks for the tea. It’s tasty.
Jessica G. (South Carolina) –
Beautiful item ?
Simone D. (California) –
Beautiful, soothing crystal. Fast shipping too.
Jenny B. (New Zealand) –
Wonderful, very happy with my crystals. Thank you 🙂
Annette S. (Ohio) –
I have received and absolutely LOVE my new crystals! They are not only beautiful but seem so harmonious with me as well as each other
Jen R. (Florida) –
Beautiful Stone!
Carol F. (Alabama) –
Really beautiful pieces and exactly the sizes I was looking for!
Jennifer R. (Georgia) –
Love the colors! Thanks
Francesca M. (Italy) –
many thanks I got it and it’s beautiful!!!!
Anne-Sophie R. (Paris, France) –
So so beautiful petrified wood!!! Thank you so much 🙂
Kristy H. (Michigan) –
Beautiful. I love the markings and being able to see the tree rings. Also, thanks for the tea. It’s tasty.
Jessica G. (South Carolina) –
Beautiful item ?
Simone D. (California) –
Beautiful, soothing crystal. Fast shipping too.
Jenny B. (New Zealand) –
Wonderful, very happy with my crystals. Thank you 🙂
Judith-Marie M. (New Jersey) –
Very Nice! Thank You!
Judith-Marie M. (New Jersey) –
Very Nice! Thank You!
Lynn K. (New York) –
Very Nice! thanks
LJ M. (West Virginia) –
5 star, highly recommended seller, totally 100% satisified customer. 8)
Jackie F. (Idaho) –
Nice Piece.. Great Communications.. Fast Delivery!! Thank you!
Dinah R. (Florida) –
Great seller, great product and super fast shipping!!! Thanks!!!
Kristina B. (Missouri) –
Big and beautiful. Got here quickly too.
Kacey T. (California) –
Good Product, thank you!