Look for wood grain patterns preserved in stone
Check for a rock-like weight and hardness
Examine the surface for bark-like texture or growth rings
Look for colors caused by minerals such as red, brown, yellow, black, or gray
Test whether it feels cold and dense like stone
Inspect broken edges for a glassy, conchoidal, or quartz-like fracture
Look for pieces that keep the shape of branches, logs, or roots
Check for visible cell structure under magnification
Compare it to nearby sedimentary or volcanic rock deposits
Use a hardness test; petrified wood is usually hard enough to scratch glass
Look for polished surfaces that reveal wood-like internal patterns
Confirm that it does not feel fibrous or lightweight like modern wood