Obsidian - The Colors, Shapes and Sizes

Obsidian is a semi precious gemstone that truly does offer the wearer unique beauty. This gemstone is created by lava that has surfaced from a volcano or lava stream and cooled off extremely quickly, not allowing it to form into normal rocks, instead it has a beautiful glossy, glassy look to it.

Obsidian is made from silicon dioxide and while it was used in the past for weapons and tools, today, it is mostly used for beautiful ornamental jewelry. Since Obsidian forms in many regions and can combine many minerals and elements, there are plenty of different varieties of Obsidian which are extremely unique and attractive.

Obsidian can come in many different colors including dark green, dark brown, black, golden sheens, beautiful yellows, blues, and tinges of purple. Obsidian can also incorporate inclusions such as cristobalite.

There are many different varieties of Obsidian including Sheen Obsidian or Rainbow Obsidian. These types of Obsidian include very small bubbles of air that are aligned to the gemstone, giving it either a golden, green sheen or a rainbow sheen.

Obsidian can also come with small white inclusions made from cristobalite. These small white crystals look very similar to snowflakes and are called Snowflake Obsidian. Obsidian can come in rather large sizes and are great for carving figurines or statuettes out of. They can also be smoothed into small balls such as beads. They are extremely beautiful and very attractive as ornamental jewelry. If you are looking for a unique gemstone that looks great in almost any setting, check out Obsidian.

Where Does Obsidian Come From?

Obsidian is one of the more popular semi precious gemstones. In fact, many people usually don’t realize that their jewelry is made from Obsidian; many think it is a type of smoky Topaz or quartz.

Obsidian is formed from lava, however unlike normal lava that reaches the surface of the earth and cools into rock formations, Obsidian usually reaches the surface and is cooled extremely quickly, causing it to create a beautiful glassy texture. Obsidian can come in a wide variety of colors and types due to the fact that it is usually mixed with many minerals or elements such as iron, magnesium and in some cases cristobalite.

Many archeologists that research old villages and towns that had their demise via volcanoes, usually include Obsidian deposits. However, today, Obsidian is generally found and mined in Italy, Scotland, Mexico and many states in the USA including Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Utah. Many Native Americans have used Obsidian in the past for weapons, tools and as ornamental or spiritual jewelry. Obsidian is usually very glossy and comes in textures similar to glass. They can break off and create excellent sharp edges, mirrors or other types of tools.