When newly broken, obsidian fractures also have a shiny luster. When a sample has been polished, the surface can be very shiny and reflective. It is often described as having an appearance like a frozen liquid. Surface Texture And Appearanceīlack obsidian has a distinctively glassy, smooth texture. Take these easy steps and satisfy your curiosity: 1. So, if you’ve got something you suspect is black obsidian but you want to be 100% certain, there are ways you can identify whether it is real obsidian.
#Difference between crying obsidian and obsidian how to#
Piles of obsidian chips have been found – an indication that ancient people processed obsidian tools and weapons on a relatively large scale in one location, an ancient factory! How To Tell If Obsidian Is Real: 7 Steps In fact, there are some locations that are suspected of having been obsidian ‘manufacturing’ sites. Credit: of obsidian used as mirrors and decorative objects have also been found throughout human history, particularly by the Aztecs and Ancient Greeks. Some claim it does a better job than modern steel scalpels. The relatively soft quality of this rock means its edges can be easily honed and this is the reason why it is still used today in scalpels. What Is Obsidian Used For?ĭue to the dangerously sharp fracture lines obsidian possesses, it has been used since pre-historical times for blades and cutting tools.
This is because obsidian is metastable when located on the surface of the Earth – over time it begins to break down into individual mineral crystals due to natural weathering processes. The oldest samples of obsidian that have been found so far date back to the Cretaceous Period. For example, the presence of iron can give a green tint. Some samples carry tints of color depending on their component minerals. The presence of magnetite can make an obsidian sample slightly magnetic! Obsidian can sometimes be much paler and even appear translucent. Usually obsidian is black because it contains the minerals magnetite and/or hematite. Obsidian has a very high silica content, and is composed of between 65-80% silicon dioxide, SiO 2. As a fairly soft rock, obsidian can be broken and scratched relatively easily. This describes materials which fracture in a smooth, rounded way, bearing a resemblance to a scallop shell. If we want to get technical, the fractures are termed conchoidal. The smooth, homogeneous texture of obsidian means that when it fractures the edges of the fracture are incredibly sharp. This lack of crystals is a key characteristic of obsidian and gives it a distinctive, smooth, and glassy texture, hence the reason it is classed as a volcanic glass. The edges of felsic lava flows cool very rapidly, forming obsidian and inhibiting the formation of a crystalline structure. It is formed from felsic lava – these flows are characteristically low temperature with relatively high viscosity due to a high silica content. It can also be found where these lava flows have reached a water body, like a lake or the sea, and contact with water has sped up the cooling process. Obsidian is an igneous rock which was formed on the edges of lava flows – rhyolitic lava flows, A.K.A.
We’ll provide you with a guide, with comprehensive steps to help you tell real black obsidian apart from fake black obsidian. Today it is still used in scalpels, as decorative blades, in jewellery and as a gemstone in its own right.ĭo you have an obsidian sample and want to tell if it is real obsidian or not? Perhaps you found a beautiful piece of obsidian jewellery or an ornamental knife and you are wondering whether it is genuine or not? Or you might just be a curious geology enthusiast? Well that makes two of us! Today we’ll take a closer look at exactly what obsidian is, its properties and characteristics. This has made it a popular material for honing blades and cutting tools throughout human history. It has a high silica content which makes is very sharp when fractured.
Technically it is the product of quickly cooling lava formed at the edge of lava flows. Black obsidian is a stunning form of volcanic glass.
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