Judging quality
The sheen sweeps across the surface as the stone tilts. If the shine sits on the surface rather than moving through it, the piece is coated.
Volcanic glass
Gold & Silver Sheen Obsidian
Obsidian with a metallic golden or silver shimmer produced by a layer of aligned microscopic gas bubbles reflecting light in unison.
Care
Glass; avoid abrasives.
History & lore
Polished obsidian mirrors were used for scrying in both Mesoamerica and Elizabethan England — John Dee's mirror in the British Museum is Mexican obsidian.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Gold & Silver Sheen Obsidian
- What is Gold & Silver Sheen Obsidian?
- Obsidian with a metallic golden or silver shimmer produced by a layer of aligned microscopic gas bubbles reflecting light in unison.
- How hard is Gold & Silver Sheen Obsidian and what is it made of?
- Gold & Silver Sheen Obsidian is a Volcanic glass-family mineral with the composition SiO2-rich glass with gas bubbles. It crystallizes in the amorphous system and rates 5-5.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in black, golden, silver.
- Where does Gold & Silver Sheen Obsidian come from?
- Notable localities for Gold & Silver Sheen Obsidian include Jalisco & Michoacán, Mexico.
- How do you tell good Gold & Silver Sheen Obsidian from filler?
- The sheen sweeps across the surface as the stone tilts. If the shine sits on the surface rather than moving through it, the piece is coated.
- How do you care for Gold & Silver Sheen Obsidian?
- Glass; avoid abrasives.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.