About Obsidian
Obsidian is not a true rock as it is glass instead of crystal. Obsidian is formed only near active volcanoes when lava rich in feldspar and quartz extruded from a volcano cools too rapidly for crystals to form. Its fast cooling environments are along the edges of a lava flow, a volcanic dome, edges of a sill or a dike, where lava contacts water, and where lava cools while airborne.
Obsidian is found in Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Australia, Canada, Chile, Georgia, Greece, El Salvador, Guatemala, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Scotland, Turkey and right here in the United States.
Rainbow Obsidian contains inclusions of magnetite nanoparticles which give it an iridescent rainbow sheen of purple, green, and golden color.
Rainbow Obsidian is the most valued Obsidian by the gemologists and is mostly found in Switzerland, in the Lepontine Alps.
In the stone age, Obsidian was used for weapons and implements, Native Americans used it as arrowheads and the Incans for weapons, mirrors, and masks.
Mineral Information Volcanic, amorphous, siliceous glass
Chemical Composition SiO2 (approximately 70%) with a range of other trace elements
Color Black with iridescent shimmer
Moh’s scale is 5.5.
Specific Gravity(density) 2.3 - 2.6
Refractive Index 1.48 - 1.51
