Opsidian Bracelet with 12mm Opsidian Beads

The black volcanic glass is characteristic of obsidian. Named after the Roman Obsius, obsidian was already of great importance in the Stone Age. Formerly used as a tool and weapon, today it is an important gemstone to which numerous powers and effects are attributed. Obsidian is a silicate-rich, acidic rock that contains up to 70 % silicic acid. While quartz and feldspar crystals may be included, water is relatively rare with only one percent in the stone. A crystal structure is not present in this compact and glassy rock. Obsidian is an amorphous rock that forms into pitchstone from radiating crystals over thousands of years. The older an obsidian is, the more advanced the crystal formation. This can be recognised by small, irregular white spots, the so-called flakes. With a hardness of 5.5 on the Mohs scale, obsidian is a hard rock. It has a glassy sheen and a conchoidal, very sharp-edged fracture. Its transparency is opaque, but translucent at the edges of the rock. It can easily be confused with pitchstone. Both also have the same specific gravity, which makes it difficult to distinguish.