It could perhaps help to pay off your mortgage, go into investments, or perhaps might contribute to a vacation you have always wanted.
Why not sell it? Petrified wood can be found pretty much anywhere at no charge, and you can easily sell it and get a profit.
It is a pretty good investment opportunity as well!
However, you do not need to be selling it to be curious about its worth. So, today we will look at the worth of petrified wood
What Is The Worth Of Petrified Wood?
Let’s get straight to the point. Assuming that the specimens of petrified wood you have are of a fair quality lapidary which a buyer may be able to craft jewelry from, you could expect to sell it for anywhere from $0.25 to $10 per pound.
Ideally, you should expect to receive the lower end of the price range here. It is always best to have lower expectations anyway, as it can save you from a lot of disappointment.
What Affects The Value Of Petrified Wood?
However, petrified wood can be worth varying amounts for varying reasons. There are several things that will influence the value of petrified wood. Let’s take a look at them, so you can gauge how much what you have is worth.
Size
Size is the very first thing that you need to consider when you are looking to gauge how much value a piece of petrified wood has.
The reason that size matters for petrified wood is that a vast majority of collectors will be looking for smaller pieces of this wood.
However, some collectors will be looking for large chunks as they can be best for making furniture. But, this is less common and most will look for smaller pieces as these work best for lapidary purposes.
Some specialists noted just how the size of the wood can affect the value of the petrified wood.
They say that small pieces are common and therefore are not worth very much (however, since they’re in high demand, also easier to sell).
But tumbled or rough pieces 1 to 3 inches in length can be worth one to two dollars each at best.
Bulks of pieces like so will usually be purchased at an even lower rate than per sample.
Alternatively, a petrified log that weighs over 50 lbs can easily sell for over $150 dollars. An intact piece that is of this size will also be much rarer than smaller pieces.
Quality
When you evaluate a piece of wood for its value, as well as its size, the first thing you need to consider is its overall quality. Is the piece solid and like rock, does it have fractures?
This is what needs consideration.
Although this fracturing can often be a common occurrence with multiple types of petrified wood, many specimens are often fractured in an extreme sense, as well as being porous and crumbling apart.
If the petrified wood is solid and rocklike, however, this means that it is easier to cut and polish, and is also much less likely to go through this process without crumbling or falling apart.
Polish
Typically, petrified wood which has already gone through the tumbling and polishing process will be worth more than a piece that has not been polished.
The reasoning behind this is thanks to the time needed to polish these stones.
It can take a significant amount of time for a final polish to be completed, thus, if someone has already done this hard work, then paying a premium for this just makes sense.
If you have a small piece under 2 inches, it is not worth more than a couple of dollars, no matter if it has been polished or not. However, a rough limb that is a few inches will be worth 4 to 8 dollars.
But, if you simply polish a single end of the limb to show the color and graining details, this can bump the price up to around 10 to 20 dollars!
If you have a full sphere at 3 inches that have been polished this can be worth from 50 to 60 dollars!
Location Of Origin
The final defining factor is where the petrified wood has come from and was harvested. If you know this then you will have a higher chance of selling it, and also at getting a good price for it too.
A majority of collectors will not realize that the location that the petrified wood has come from will play a part in its worth.
Should a populated area now be swindling in how much petrified wood there is, the value of the pieces which came from there will increase.
If you were able to say that you owned petrified wood from a popular forest naturally then it also makes your piece much more valuable also.
If you are a field collector and want to sell petrified wood, you should do your very best to document any finds as it will do you good when you are going to sell.
Petrified Wood: What Is It?
Petrified wood will form when trees that died millions of years in the past fell and got covered in mud, water, and sand. Over the course of the years since minerals get into the wood and deposit there.
Then, the wood will rot away, and the minerals are what is left behind. These trees then turn to rock and become petrified. This process is known as petrification.
Overall
Petrified wood is not worth a huge amount of money, but if you have a large piece that is high quality then it can be worth a pretty penny!
Hi, my name is Andrea Daehma and I have been collecting and using crystals in my everyday life for just over six years now.
I have my own collection of crystals gracing my house, several for every scenario I could think of.
Learning about crystals has truly changed my life, and I want to help others turn their life around too. Please enjoy my website and find your own small stone to begin your crystal journey with!
