Minerals / Petrified wood.

 This specimen of petrified wood, more commonly called fossil wood, or wood opal. is made of almost pure silica, SiO₂ in the form of chalcedony, opal, and quartz. Minor amounts of other minerals, such as iron, copper, manganese, etc. impart a certain amount of colour. Petrification occurs when wood is buried in water saturated sediment, which greatly reduces oxygen. Mineral laden fluids slowly replace the original wood in a process called petrification,  preserving in fine detail the original structure. This specimen, although a mineral, is in reality a fossil. Origin is unknown. There is a comprehensive article on petrified wood in Silurian No. 1, which can be located on the MWGC website   

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