How to clean it
Warm soapy water and a soft cloth. Chips easily — store separately.
Black, sometimes with sheen or snowflake patterning
Obsidian
Is Obsidian a birthstone?
Not in the monthly list — but it does appear in the older zodiac tradition.
By zodiac sign it belongs to Scorpio .
Properties
Composition
Volcanic glass — silica-rich lava cooled too fast to crystallise
Hardness (Mohs)
5–5.5
Crystal system
Amorphous
Colour
Black, sometimes with sheen or snowflake patterning
Mined in
Mexico, USA, Iceland, Italy, Armenia
Worth knowing
Fractures to an edge only nanometres thick — sharper than surgical steel, and still used in some specialist scalpels.
History
Worked into blades across the ancient world; Aztec ritual knives were obsidian.
Practical
Caring for Obsidian
How to tell it is real
Obsidian is natural glass, so imitation is a fine distinction. Natural material usually contains tiny gas bubbles and flow banding.
One general rule covers most mistakes: never store stones loose together. Diamond at 10 on the Mohs scale scratches everything else you own, and it does not need much contact to do it.
What that hardness means in practice
Soft. Keep it away from other jewellery in storage — harder stones will scratch it in a shared box.
Traditional associations
Obsidian is traditionally associated with protection, boundaries and honest self-examination. In chakra systems it is placed at the Root, and in elemental correspondence it is assigned to Earth.
These are cultural associations recorded across various traditions, not claims about physical effects. The composition and hardness above are measurable; this paragraph is folklore, and worth reading as such.
Questions
What is Obsidian made of?
Volcanic glass — silica-rich lava cooled too fast to crystallise, crystallising in the amorphous system.
Where does Obsidian come from?
Mexico, USA, Iceland, Italy, Armenia.
How do I clean Obsidian?
Warm soapy water and a soft cloth. Chips easily — store separately.
How can I tell if Obsidian is real?
Obsidian is natural glass, so imitation is a fine distinction. Natural material usually contains tiny gas bubbles and flow banding.
Can I wear it every day?
At 5–5.5 on the Mohs scale, not in a ring. Keep it to pieces that take fewer knocks.