Australian Chinchilla Petrified Wood Partially Polished Free Form Specimen

This is a fine specimen of petrified wood found in the area of Australia known as 'Chinchilla Red' because of its unique color and quality of preservation. This polished specimen shows a wide array of colorful red, brown, and tan hues and was hand collected in Queensland, Australia.  Petrified wood is the name given to a special type of fossilized remains of terrestrial vegetation. It is the result of a tree having turned completely into stone by the process of permineralization. All the organic materials have been replaced with minerals (mostly a silicate, such as quartz), while retaining the original structure of the wood. The petrifaction process occurs underground, when wood becomes buried under sediment and is initially preserved due to a lack of oxygen, which inhibits aerobic decomposition. Mineral-laden water flowing through the sediment deposits minerals in the plant's cells; as the plant's lignin and cellulose decay, a stone mold forms in its place. In general, wood takes less