Obsidian

OBSIDIAN
** Obsidian is natural volcanic glass. It is formed when rhyolite lava from a volcanic eruption comes in contact with water, thus cooling it very fast. It cools so fast that crystals do not have time to grow, and that's why Obsidian breaks randomly, like glass, rather than along crystal lines.** Obsidian is usually black, but the presence of other minerals during cooling sometimes gives it various dark colors. Hematite in the lava makes it reddish-brown. Crystals of cristobalite in the lava result in the white specks found in Snowflake Obsidian. ** When two colors of lava flow together, they occasionally mix with each other, but are so viscous that the colors do not mix; they appear side by side. This is how we get certain streaked Obsidians, such as Mahogany Obsidian.** Bubbles of air trapped between layers of cooling lava form the unique deep stripes of Rainbow Obsidian.** Metaphysical healers use Obsidian to clear insight into problems.** Being glass, Obsidian can be very sharp when broken. Therefore, it was a favorite material with which to make arrowheads.** In ancient times, Obsidian was used for mirrors.