The Uses of Obsidian

Obsidian is one of the more interesting semi precious gemstones available. Obsidian is made from sand and oxygen and it’s technically written as SiO2. What makes Obsidian extremely beautiful is that it is essentially lava that has cooled very quickly, not allowing it to create traditional crystalline structures. Usually Obsidian comes into contact with a very cool environment or most notably water and cools very quick causing these beautiful semi precious gemstones to be created.

Obsidian comes in many types; however it is usually due to the inclusions or minerals that are present. For instance, Sheen Obsidian has a gold glossy sheen to it that makes it look very precious. There is also Rainbow Obsidian which gives off rainbow hues and looks very exotic. The third common type of Obsidian is called Snowflake Obsidian. This type of Obsidian includes cristobalite which makes small white dots in the stone that makes it look similar to snowflakes.

Obsidian has been known to man since the dawn of time and there is evidence to suggest that prehistoric man used Obsidian for weapons such as blades on arrows or knives, tools and for religious symbols.

Today, Obsidian is regarded as a semi precious stone that is made into exquisite ornamental jewelry such as rings, earrings, bracelets, charms, pendants, etc. Many Native American cultures still use Obsidian for religious ornaments and you can find Obsidian in many different sizes and shapes which can be created into statuettes or small figurines. It should be noted that Obsidian is not a hard material and only scores a 5 to 5.5 on Moh’s hardness scale.

Obsidian - The History and Origins

Obsidian is a semi precious stone that has been known to man for thousands of years. Obsidian is much different from many stones and has had many uses besides ornamental jewelry. Obsidian is made from silicon and oxygen. It is scientifically written as SiO2, most Obsidian is caused by lava cooling off extremely quickly, which is usually the result of obsidian coming into contact with water. The effect is a very glossy sheen and crystals that can be sharp and beautiful.

There is evidence that Obsidian was used during prehistoric times as weapons and tools to cut objects with. When lava cools off, usually as a result of coming into contact with water, it causes many sharp shards of crystals, which can easily be broken off and used as knives, blades, mirrors and jewelry.

During ancient times it was supposively named by a Roman soldier name Obsius that found Obsidian in Ethiopia. Obsidian comes in many varieties most notably Sheen Obsidian, which has a golden sheen to it, Rainbow Obsidian which gives off a rainbow effect when looked at, and Snowflake Obsidian, which has white inclusions that look remarkably like white snowflakes within the Obsidian.

Obsidian is a semi precious stone that can be found in practically all regions around the world. However, you will usually find Obsidian obviously where volcanoes were active recently or have been active in the past. One of the more popular regions to find Obsidian is North America, especially in the south western states and Utah.