Pele’s Tears aren’t as readily available as many forms of obsidian, and taking rocks from the islands is seriously frowned upon. Studies indicate they’re formed in much the same way, but the end formation depends on the velocity of the eruption. Seriously intermixed, as nanometer-sized formations of Pele’s Tears have been found in the cavities of Pele’s Hair. These occur primarily in Hawaii and are often intermixed with Pele’s Hair. This leaves us with a variety of small, irregularly shaped needles and nodules that are collectively known as Pele’s Tears. They occur when the material thrown from the volcano is cooling on the way down. Apache Tearsĭistinct from Apache’s Tears, Pele’s Tears are an aerodynamically formed obsidian nodule. The following isn’t a 100% comprehensive overview, but it covers the vast majority of unique formations that can be found. There are some rare forms of it out there available in only a few locations that people often try to collect. Not everyone collects obsidian based on the variety. It’s easy to find, rather cheap, and incredibly attractive for something which can seem so simple at first glance. Mahogany obsidian deserves a place on every obsidian collector’s shelf. The latter can take advantage of the patterns to create wonderful knives and arrowheads which are accented by the internal coloration.
It’s used in jewelry, and decorative objects. You’ll sometimes hear this variety referred to as red obsidian, which… isn’t great but it’s better than most of the material sold under that name. This leads to the large, rust-colored bands and spots in the stone. The coloration in mahogany obsidian is thought to come from hematite included in the glass as it cools. These can range from large splashes to more intense and intricate banding depending on the individual sample but it’s another common variety used for more than just jewelry. Mahogany obsidian bears deep red-brown patterns and streaks across the black surface of the material. The careful attention to angle when cutting, and the inherent difficulty of polishing obsidian, can combine to create incredible beauty or destroy the fire entirely. In an interesting way, fire obsidian is one of the peak challenges of the lapidary arts. It’s usually sold per carat, as opposed to every other variety which is sold by the pound or piece depending on how much work has been put into the rough.įire obsidian is only found in a few places and if there’s anywhere else… people are staying tight-lipped about it. When it’s cut properly, fire obsidian will show an incredible array of bright colors when viewed from the proper angle.įire obsidian’s effect is created through thin-film interference, much like rainbow obsidian, but the material here is ultra-thin layers of magnetite instead of the hedenbergite that causes the colors in rainbow obsidian.įire obsidian is extremely expensive compared to most varieties. It’s the most expensive and rare type of obsidian and requires a ton of experience to cut properly to view the visible effect. Sheen Obsidianįire Obsidian (credit: Jessa and Mark Anderson/ Flickr)įire obsidian is… something else.
There are great places to find it in each state along the Western Coast of the USA, and some great examples also come from Mexico. Rainbow Obsidian is the second most expensive type of obsidian most of the time, but it’s very affordable compared to Fire Obsidian. This effect is caused by thin-film interference, think of it as a solid oil slick effect. This mineral is oriented in the rainbow obsidian and causes light entering the stone to act differently. The cause of this coloration? Nano-rods of hedenbergite. Rainbow obsidian can range from full-facing, incredible pastel colors to a barely visible sheen form an oblique angle. Some of the most striking examples are found in the aptly named Rainbow Mine in the Warner Mounts area. Rainbow obsidian is a prized material, varying greatly in colors. Before the discovery of fire obsidian, which has a much more intense effect, it was among the most expensive types.
Rainbow obsidian is a variety that exhibits a rainbow pattern in concentric rings when the light hits the surface just right.
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