Obsidian is frequently ignored by jewelry shoppers, but this stone has the potential to feature in some of your most interesting accessories. While not as flashy as diamonds, emeralds or rubies, obsidian has an unparalleled lustrous beauty and comes in a surprising variety of patterns and colours. 

The Obsidian definition also makes it a stone of the spirit. Many cultures have used Obsidian rock as the spiritual ally to call on for stargazing and making prophecies. For healing journeys, Obsidian rock is especially useful as a companion due to its abilities to protect and guard the psyche. When you're out and about, wearing jewelry with Obsidian rock can help protect you from any energy vampires you come across. Its protective properties will help deflect the energy of needy or draining people.

To make use of this stone the first step is to understand obsidian, as well as how to buy and wear it. Making this stunning natural stone shine your way.

What is Obsidian? 

Obsidian is not a gem, though it shines like one. Obsidian is a lustrous volcanic glass formed by rapid lava solidification.

As a volcanic stone, obsidian resembles a mineral but since its composition is too complex and lacks the usual crystalline mineral structure, it is not a true mineral.

The rock gets its name from the Latin obsidianus, which is in fact an misprint of Obsianus, referring to a Roman called Obsius who supposedly found a similar stone in Ethiopia.

Like other glasses this stone is brittle and breaks into sharp edges, making it as one of the first sources of spears and arrowheads valuable in prehistoric cultures. Today, it is even used as a surgical scalpel because it is so much sharper than steel.

The rock can, in rare cases, be blue, red, orange, or yellow and often come marbled, swirled, or speckled with a mix of colours. Some trade names for such mixed-color stones are:

Snowflake obsidian occurs when the crystallization during the cooling process is not completely inhibited. The crystals are formed into tiny, white splotches resembling snowflakes.

Rainbow obsidian shows beautiful rings of colors, sometimes the full spectrum, as the silica interacts with certain minerals, resulting from a natural chemical process.

Sheen obsidian is created when lava is exposed to and vaporizes water, creating tiny pockets of air inside the obsidian. These bubbles represent silver and gold, making the stone look like an incredible star sea.

Black Obsidian's 3Cs:

Clarity 

By definition, the black obsidian should be clear from any inclusions. It is generally totally opaque with a beautiful, crystal shine. It has a vitreous and glassy luster.

Cut

Due to the fact that obsidian is so fragile, it must be handled with special care during jewelry design.

In obsidian jewelry, any edges are prone to breaking and flaking, meaning rounded and polished surfaces are the most common. 

However, no matter how they choose to do it, black obsidian gemstones are traditionally shaped into rounds or ovals, cabochon cuttings, fancy cuttings and can be faced, tumbled or carved. Those cuts tend to accentuate the black obsidian's beauty best.

And, in addition to this, an obsidian stone can be carved in many other intricate ways like this pendant necklace; 

  Since obsidian stones are simple to cut, and often used in ornamentation, the possibilities are limited only by the imagination of the cutter. 

Carat

Obsidian gemstones can differ considerably in weight of their carat. Unlike many other precious gemstones, exquisite and functional obsidian stones can be found in up to hundreds in carats of very large sizes.

Obsidian is moderately heavy for its size with a 1.00 carat oval obsidian stone typically having dimensions of around 2” x 1.5” x 0.5”. 

Black Obsidian Jewelry

Black obsidian, as we described earlier, can have almost unlimited applications in jewelry and crafts. Black obsidian can be used to make all types of jewelry pieces – rings, pendants, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, piercing and more.

Because black is a neutral color, obsidian set in any metal color tends to look beautiful. Due to its colour, the black obsidian is a unisex stone that suits both males and females. For men it makes ring stones as well as cufflinks and other similar accessories for excellent engagement or wedding. 

It’s perfect for large statement pieces of jewelry, but because a little obsidian goes a long way, even small dainty pieces of black obsidian jewelry stand out and can be very eye catching.

Where to Buy Black Obsidian Jewelry

Black obsidian is not a mainstream gemstone, and it might be difficult to find many options at your local store. Taking your search online will open up many options and competitive prices that are available.

If you are looking to buy obsidian jewelry, we recommend that you check out the vast selection of obsidian pieces available at Plus Minus Co.  they also have other jewelries, like Onyx Jewelry. Find out more about it in this article.