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Spherulites tend to have a duller lustre than the host rock. Vitreous is widely used to describe the surface of a stone whose surface interacts with light in a similar way to glass. The word devitrification comes from the Latin word vitreus meaning glassy and transparent. In other words what was once glass has transformed into stone. The material therefore changes from being a solid that's amorphous into one that's crystalline. These tend to be made up of quartz and feldspar and have formed through a process known as devitrification.ĭuring devitrification atoms within the volcanic glass rearrange themselves into an orderly repeating pattern. They're known to have radiating fibrous needle-like crystals. The spherulites in snowflake obsidian are difficult to see in detail without powerful magnification. The presence of iron and magnesium produces black obsidian which is the most well known. Hematite causes the red and brown varieties whilst inclusions known as spherulites (spherical bodies) cause the whitish grey markings in snowflake obsidian.
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Tiny bubbles caused by water vapour, air or gas can also produce different types of sheen.Ī golden sheen is known as sheen obsidian whilst iridescent material with circular-like patterns is known as rainbow obsidian. The colour of obsidian is determined by the inclusions and impurities present. The edge of a non crystalline material is completely smooth so the incision is cleaner and more precise. The result is minimal scarring.Ī steel scalpel has a cutting edge similar to a saw due to the metal's crystalline structure. They create a finer incision hence wounds heal faster with less tissue damage. More recently scalpels used by surgeons have been made from obsidian blades instead of conventional steel. For this reason it was widely used during the Stone Age for knives, spear tips and arrows. Obsidian is one of the sharpest of all naturally occuring materials. Edges will often be curved and can be as sharp as a razor blade. This characteristic is typical of many brittle materials which are not crystalline. The correct term for this type of break is a conchoidal fracture. The way obsidian breaks is similar to glass. One respected geologist described it as "a congealed liquid with impurities of rock and a limited number of microscopic crystals". Most magma contains at least 70% silicon dioxide which is the main constituent of obsidian.Īlthough often referred to as a stone that's not quite accurate but finding a more appropriate word for obsidian can be difficult. When compared to the age of many rocks and minerals that's relatively young. Obsidian is rarely older than about twenty million years.
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The glass that subsequently forms will often be free from dirt, ash and other impurities. These tend to be close to the vent of the volcano. Some of the finest obsidian forms beneath the surface of the earth as molten magma seeps into fractures in rocks.
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The word amorphous is also used to describe a naturally occurring non crystalline solid. Examples include jet, amber, moldavite, pearl and opal. These naturally occurring substances are known instead as mineraloids. The resulting hardened material is volcanic glass also known as obsidian.Ī material that's not crystalline (no crystals present) is not classified as a mineral. They may start forming after a few weeks but will at best be microscopic. Once spewed out from the vent of a volcano it becomes known as lava.Īlthough lava initially cools fairly rapidly after being expelled, it has insulating properties so the cooling process slows down significantly over time.Ĭrystals do not have time to grow if it cools very fast as in hours to days. Magma is molten rock from beneath Earth's surface. This burning hot material then cools so rapidly against air water or rocks that crystals do not have time to grow. Obsidian is natural volcanic glass produced as magma erupts onto the Earth's surface. Obsidian Properties Facts and Photos Contents