Whether it is purchasing a snowflake obsidian gemstone or jewelry piece online or at a store, certain important factors determine its value:Ĭolor: Snowflake obsidian is nothing but a regular black colored obsidian composed of several grayish-white or pure white inclusions. Snowflake obsidian properties The three C’s: Other common locations to mine obsidian are Argentina, Canada, Chile, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, and Turkey. However, most high-quality snowflake obsidians for commercial purposes come from specific countries such as the United States, Scotland, or Italy. In general, this stone is naturally found all over the world. It has a refractive index that lies between 1.45 and 1.55. This stone has a hardness of around five Mohs, but it can go up to 5.5 as well. During this process, the crystals formed grow into delicate white splotches that look just like snowflakes-hence the name. As the crystallization process occurs in the flowing lava, the inclusions that appear on the surface as patches, spots, or streaks are produced. The snowflake obsidian is formed when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools down. Snowflake obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass, and hence it is also known as "nature's glass." Because of the flaky surface that it exhibits, it is also called flowering obsidian and spherulitic obsidian .
In addition to its use in the world of jewelry, it also has several metaphysical properties that’ll help whoever possesses the stone. It is actually quite affordable and can draw attention right away. Its beautiful appearance often misguides us about its value. When mounted on jewelry pieces, this stone provides a unique sparkling effect that makes the entire jewelry setting very eye-catchy. These snowflakes are called “spherulites” and are essentially just needle-shaped cristobalite (a quartz type). Not surprising, the only difference between the regular obsidian and the snowflake variant is the “snowflakes” that are evidently visible on its surface. It is similar to other obsidian varieties in terms of its composition, availability, and value. Its many white or grey flakes formed inside it make the snowflake obsidian significant and easily distinguishable amongst the other variants. Snowflake obsidian is the most captivating variant of the regular obsidian rock. There are several varieties of obsidians, but obviously, there’s one that stands out. Did you know snowflake obsidian is not actually a gemstone? Yes, you read that right! It is a glass that forms when specific types of lava cool too quickly.