PETRIFIED WOOD SPHERES

Petrified wood is actually rock, which has formed over millions of years through a process described below:

• A branch from a tree falls to the ground and, due to atmospheric agents, gets buried.
• The absence of oxygen preserves the outer shell but not the internal tissues like cellulose or lignin, which decompose and leave gaps inside.
• When it rains, minerals present in the soil such as quartz, calcite, copper, iron, or manganese filter into the branch and replace the decomposing cellulose and other tissues, filling the gaps they leave behind.
• After millions of years, a rock is formed whose shape and internal structure resemble wood but with the vivid colors of quartz and the other minerals that have filtered in.

Yes, indeed. Although at a microscopic level petrified wood retains the same structure as the original, all the organic matter has been replaced by minerals, so what remains in the end is a rock.

Certainly, it is usually more valuable than regular wood. It all depends on the type and rarity of the minerals involved in the petrification process, their state of preservation, and overall beauty. Some pieces can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Petrified wood balls should be cleaned with pH-neutral cleaners. In general, any hard surface cleaner suitable for use on marble or natural stone will work. You can also clean it with hand soap. Avoid acidic cleaners (concrete remover, phosphoric acid, etc.), alkaline cleaners (bleach, ammonia, etc.), or solvents (turpentine, acetone, etc.) as they could damage your piece.

The creation of a petrified wood sphere is usually done in a specialized workshop and consists of the following steps:

• Starting with the piece in its original irregular shape, a first transverse cut is made using a diamond or carbide disc to obtain the size to work with.
• Longitudinal cuts are then made to give it a cylindrical shape with several faces.
• Transverse cuts are continued to increase the number of faces: heptahedron, octahedron, … dodecahedron, etc., obtaining a final piece as close as possible to a sphere.
• Finally, a polishing process is carried out using grinding wheels and water cooling, until a smooth, polished, and shiny finish is achieved.