Petrified Palm Wood (Indonesia)

Beautiful and rare Petrified Palm Wood or Palmoxylon from Indonesia.

Tree trunks were buried under several hundred yards of sediment. Over the course of time the wood was replaced by cryptocrystalline quartz, largely chalcedony and jasper. During the replacement process by silica carried in underground waters, even the most minute details of the woody structure was preserved.

This is actually a psuedomorph-chalcedony replaces the wood. Therefore Petrified Wood is actually a member of the chalcedony family with a hardness of 6.5 to 7. The cabochons have beautiful polka dot patterns.

Metaphysical Properties: Petrified Wood is called the stone of patience.