Semiprecious gemstone cabochons for Jewelry Design on Etsy

Semiprecious gemstone cabochons on Etsy

Agate, Jasper, Obsidian, Serpentine, Chrysocolla, Fossil Coral, Quartz, Moss, Lace Agate, and the list goes on, and on..... Lots of interesting and unique gemstone cabochon minerals to choose from at TaoGem on Etsy.

Saturday Builders Newport Washington Leach Off Community Event

The community of Newport Washington had a large event hosted by Treasures on Foxwood Aug 8th and 9th 2009. An event for antiques, collectibles, vintage, art, crafts and much more.

A huge amount of time, money and effort was involved in getting 70 vendors from all over the Pacific Northwest to gather for this successful community event.

Local businesses who choose to participate in the community event paid for a spot like any other vendor.

The exception was a small five and dime hardware store located off the same mile marker at South Shore road.

Those of us who live in the community were already more than familiar with the fictitious "yard sale" signs posted along highway 2 intended to mislead weekend travelers to a yard sale. Only to find themselves at a run down five and dime hardware store.

This same Saturday Builders Hardware store decided to not participate within the community event like everyone else. Instead they opted to create over sized fictitious and misleading "antique/collectibles for sale" signs. Posting them right next to this community event on highway #2.

Saturday Builder owners intentionally created a misleading conception that their hardware store a mile off the highway was the actual Newport community event. Leading people off the highway to their store, they would then scream out and wave their arms at the confused visitor inviting them in like some kind of carnival worker trying to attract people to a game booth at the carnival.

The bewildered visitor would ask where the Newport Community event was. The owners of Saturday builders would tell them, "oh there is nothing going on down there, we have all the old stuff right here"! Or get this... They would tell people, "If you stay here for five minutes and shop, we will tell you how to get there"!

Saturday Builder Hardware store of Newport Washington leached off the advertising, marketing and promotional investments of this Treasures on Foxwood hosted community event.

Coming down at days end on Saturday the 8th bragging about how they had over 80 sales as a result of their misleading, leaching, self centered, and low handed techniques. Going on to say how disappointed they were that the event was scheduled for Sunday too. As that meant they would have to make it a work day at their business. Would not want to miss even one day of leaching and profiting off this event........ Just a shame it was on a regular day off.. Means they had to get out of bed and walk down to the cash register. Another day of screaming and waving bewildered drivers onto the property. Having to coax and con them to stay....

It is the hopes of this blog entry to convince the Newport community to boycott Saturday Builders. Express your discuss with their attitude of greedy, selfish and self centered business ethics.

The one really nice event that this community has seen in years and this disgusting hardware store and owners made every attempt to take full advantage of the event, event hosts, community, and all 70 vendors from around the Pacific Northwest who participated.

This blog entry is just the very beginning of building community awareness of the low handed community business..

New Gemstone Cabochon e-Store for Jewelry Supplies

New E-Store Link

Ever since I started using the Wordpress e-Commerce Plugin by Instinct Entertainment customers have been lining up complaining about how difficult it is to shop with. Not user friendly at all.

In response to that, I created a new ZenCart for shopping gemstone cabochon jewelry supplies.

Much more user friendly.

Gemstone categories are broken up into the following:

Agate Gemstone Cabochons
Fossilized FreeForm and Matched Cabochon Pairs
Jasper Gemstone Cabochons
Mixed Gemstone Cabochon Pairs
Mixed Unusual Gemstone Cabochons
Agate Matched Gemstone Cabochon Pairs
Jasper Matched Gemstone Cabochon Pairs

Hope you will stop by and check it out!

Gemstone Grinding and Sanding

Link to Gemstone Grinding and Sanding

For myself, getting the feel of the sanding process was and still is key to successful cabbing. The only thing I might add to the forums gemstone sanding thread is knowing when to consider to change out to new abrasives. I am still using silicon carbide. I have not made the important change over to diamond yet. One of our forums member, Seth, has mentioned several times the importance of using diamond.

One of my immediate realistic goal is to purchase something like one of the Gennie cabbing units. After working with another forum members one day, it became apparent the importance of having that type of set up if a person is going to make this a long term hobby or business.

Don't get me wrong..... Just starting out, there is absolutely nothing at all wrong with the silicon carbide abrasives. I still continue to be able to turn out some nice cabs. It is the ease of the process that is increased when using a set up like one of the Genies that I look forward too enjoying on a daily basis.

So for now....., using silicon carbide abrasives can be a combination of using a new 100 grit belt as a 100 grit belt. Then finding myself using it in place of something like a 220 grit when it becomes somewhat worn. Same thing with a 220. I will use it as a 220 when new, and then find myself using it like I might a newer 400 or even a 600 grit belt as it becomes worn.

Agates are a big indicator for me as to when it is time to change into a new belt. As the guide above explains..... Always watching the progress of the removal of sanding scratches. After a short time it began to be second nature what to expect the surface of a stone to look like when finishing the 100 grit. Knowing that it was completely ready to move on to the next finer grit, and so on just prior to polishing. Remembering all along not to use a lot of pressure. Letting each of the abrasives do their own thing.

The same is true if using silicon carbide or diamond. Maybe more so with diamond in regards to remembering to let the abrasive do the work. Diamond will only grind or polish in accordance to it's individual abrasive grit. Not pressure. Especially not pressure....

Any hooo...... just wanted to bring this topic to the forefront again. For me, getting a handle on the sanding process was the most important thing. Once I started to understand it, and actually get a feel for it, the processes become clearer and easier. The results were less aggravation and less time spent returning to previous grits two and three times . Maybe others would like to add their experiences here as well, and or correct me on any of the above as I am in fact still fairly new and still learning...

Epoxies, Opticon, and Glues

Link to discussion

We have had some discussion, along with my own personal trials working with Opticon as a method for repairing and filling those pesky pits in gemstones. Compared to that of a simpler process using a 330 type epoxy, or even super glue, my vote goes to the epoxy or even the super glues.

Opticon is quite a process. Treating the stone with the resin, heating, cooling, adding hardener and finally getting the stone to a grinding wheel.

Epoxy, like the 330, or even a super glue is a simple one step process. Then straight to the sanding and polishing.

The exception to this can be when considering a sealer applied to larger cracks. In this case, the Opticon might well prevail.

Gemstone Classifieds Auction Forum - New !

Well, for those of you who have been following along, you are already aware that the Gemstone Network Developer Forum has found a newly designed forum with SMF.
One thing within the long list of cool features is the addition of a "Classifieds and Auction Forum".
This feature just became active, so even I still have some time yet before I completely understand all the little tips, tricks and features.
For those of you who may just be stumbling into TaoGem Gemstones, we hope to see you at out new Lapidary / Gemstone Community Forum.

New Lapidary / Gemstone Forum Host

Just a notice for those interested. Our Gemstone Network Developer forum has been closed and we have found a new home with another hosting service. Lots more features. Some of which are the primary reason for the move, as they will benefit our new Lapidary / Gemstone Community Forum in the long term.

So, if for some odd reason you were a member and missed both the PM's and emails, now you have the new link for our new hosting home for the newly titled "Lapidary / Gemstone Community Forum". Or of course if this is the first you have known about our forum, then we hope too see you there as well.

Shaping Gemstones for Bezel Settings

I am far from being an expert with the art of bezel settings. I have just recently began participating within a forum that has a member who volunteers some tutorials and discussion for beginners like myself.
I thought it might be fun to share a little of what I learn and show off some successes I hope to have with learning about setting gemstones within bezels and also actually making my own bezels from scratch. We will also be posting progress within our Gemstone / Lapidary Network Developer forum.
Since I am not an expert, I am not going to just be posting the tutorials that are being volunteered within the metalsmithing forum that I mentioned.
I would like to begin by sharing the proper shape required for the outer edge of a gemstone that is going to be used in a bezel.
The first image shows a gemstone with a straight edge running up towards the surface of a flat faced cab.
The second shows the proper "inward" slope of an edge that runs up to the surface of either a domed or flat faced cabochon.
The inward slope allows for proper rolling over of the bezel tape that will result in a proper and snug fit.

Proper Water Lubrication For Lapidary Gemstone Abrasive Belts

Link To Proper Water Lubrication For Lapidary Gemstone Abrasive Belts

It seems like every time I bring another piece of equipment home the fittings that let the water flow over the abrasive belts only give enough water to get the very center of the belts wet. I am always wearing out the center of the belts and find myself juggling the belts from side to side so that the water might be able to put the little stream of water over another part of the belt.The other day I picked up some rain drip spray devices that you have probably seen set around bushes and plants that supply a small amount of spray.I thought it might be the solution to the problem I have been having.
The first pic shows what the spray looks like under the pressure of a regular water pump. The camera shot sort of makes it look more like heavy drops, but in fact it is a real nice spray.The second image is the rain drip spray device rigged up to my belt sander as an example. It sure works great on the belt sander, and completely sprays water over the entire width of the belt. Ihave not yet been able to afford the switch from silicon carbide to diamond paper yet, but this was another reason for getting a handle on this. If I am going to spend a ton of money on diamond belts, I sure do not want to throw all the diamond off the belt because it is not getting proper water supply. I am going to set these same spray devices up on all my other abrasive wheels as well.

Wire Wrap Gemstones With A Vug

I thought it might be cool to offer some stones with different kinds of vugs in them within my store inventory so that folks who like to design jewelry can find interesting ways to use the vug while wrapping the stone.
Not knowing how to wire wrap myself, after some discussion, I asked an experienced jewelry designer to wrap one for me. What I was hoping for was to actually use the vug in a way as to run the wire through it as part of the overall wrap design, instead of just the perimeter of the stone.
Here is a pic showing what I am talking about by utilizing the vug into the overall wire wrap design.

There are many different ways that this stone or any other stone with a vug can be wrapped in a way that the wire can be run through and highlight the beauty of the vug. It does not have to cover too much of the stone, and so it also compliments the wrap very nicely which can be just as beautiful as the stone if not more so sometimes. The overall design offers a nice happy medium between stone and wire design.
The lady who wrapped this one picked an excellent design. I am very happy to be able to use this one as an example to others. Hopefully initiating a fresh little spark of creativity. With a little luck, considering purchasing stones like this from my store so they to can give it a whirl too.
Nice vugs do not present themselves all that often while cutting up slabs.
I will probably create a special area in store eventually specific to these special stones. Since they don't really come up that often, it may be that if someone is interested in these types of stones, they can let me know and I will in return simply contact them when they come up while I am slicing various rough minerals. The one in the photo is a Dryhead agate. If they are all gone once you have read this post, you can also view what some of them looked like by checking out my most recent newsletter.

As of this blog posting, I do have some stones with vugs in stock. Don't be surprised if they are sold ! Remember, if you would like to wrap one of these stones with a vug using your own special creative vug wrap design, just contact me and we can talk about the different types of minerals and make arrangements for me to contact you when one of these unique stones present themselves while slabbing.
Dryhead agate with vugs in stock
Youngite agate with vug in stock
Indonesian Fossilized Coral with vug in stock

Unique Nevada Chrysocolla Mine

Michael's Nevada Unique Chrysocolla Mine



This Chrysocolla in Quartz is much different than material from the Arizona mines, due to the Limonite inclusions. Also, so far Michael has not found any Cuprite or Hematite. One of the thin lower layers of the vein is a very strange blend of all of the occurring minerals, and it yields beautifully unusual slabettes. Here's a pic of one of the batches of these slabettes which he recently sold:



People tend to use the word "Chrysocolla" as a very general term, which can be a bit confusing and maybe even misleading to those who may not have a lot of knowledge about Copper-based minerals. Even the term "Chrysocolla in Quartz" is seldom completely accurate, yet it's commonly used.

Pure Chrysocolla is a soft mineral, at about 2.5 - 3 on the Mohs scale. It's a VERY beautifully rich royal blue color. It IS sometimes used for jewelry, but it must be stabilized. The best effective, common way to permanently stabilize it is with epoxy.

"Chrysocolla in Quartz", 99% of the time, is actually Chrysocolla in Granite. One of the components of Granite is Quartz. Some Granite has very little Quartz, yet some Granite has a lot of Quartz. The light grey that you often see in "Chrysocolla in Quartz" is the Granite matrix. Fortunately, the Granite matrix of the material from my mine has a very high Quartz content.

NOW, here's the balancing dilemma. On the Mohs scale, Chysocolla is 2.5 -3, and Quartz is 7. If you buy a piece of "Chrysocolla in Quartz" which is a very solid royal blue (like the piece Gotapair bought), it has high Chrysocolla content, so it's going to be soft, like 3.5 - 4. It will crumble fairly easy, it will be very difficult to work into a cab, and it will be very hard to get a good shine. On the other extreme, a piece which is mostly gray (granite) but has a little Chrysocolla in it will lose very little of it's hardness, will be very easy to work with, and will easily take a high gloss shine. SO, for jewelry making, it's best to find a "happy medium". You want the material to have enough of the highly desired royal blue coloring, yet you want it to have enough matrix to keep it solid, workable, and shiny. This balance is something that most people do not understand, and it's the lack of this understanding that leads a lot of people away from Chrysocolla entirely.

The Granite at Michael's mine is of such high Quartz content that it is mostly comprised of tiny crystals. Here is a pics of a cab made from a pretty "nicely balanced" slab from Michael's mine. The high gloss finish combined with the sparkle of the crystals is absolutely amazing in sunlight. You can also see the light Limonite inclusions.

even a piece which is more than half matrix is still very beautiful, while having the afore-mentioned characteristics of being solid, hard, and nice to work with. Each chunk and even each slab of this material has quite a bit of variance with regards to the saturation of the Chrysocolla and the occurance of the Limonite inclusion.

Michael wouldn't say that this material is necessarily better or prettier than Chrysocolla that comes from other mines, just that it's distinctly different and unique. I have not yet found any Gem Silica at this mine, but then, he has barely actually scratched the surface, so who knows what the future may bring.

Rock Tumbling Gemstone Preforms

Link to Gemstone Rock Tumbling

I have not been interested in rock tumbling. then recently after taking a closer look, starting to think that there may well be a place for it within my gemstone store. I am still not really interested in tumbling a piece of rough rock though. I just don't see the attraction. Although, the look of a tumbled preform cab certainly does have it's place for those designers who enjoy wire wrapping. The smoothed edges and rounded look of a preform gemstone are great for wire wrapping.

After borrowing a tumbler, I thought it would be fun to share what I learn as I go.
If you have never rock tumbled before, or like myself, have not really taken a close look at it, then maybe you might enjoy following along.

Borrowed a tumbler to play with. It came with two bags of different abrasives. There is nothing to tell me what grit each of the two bags are.

One does have a red label inside and the other a blue.
I don't know if that might tell someone what grit they are.

I also thought tumbling was more than just a two step process, but there are only these two bags of abrasives and not sure what I am missing to get started.

Was thinking about mixing the first batch with some preform agates and also some jaspers, along with some flawed, partially finished cabs. The edges are not really very sharp on the preforms because I hit the edges lightly with the grinder. The larger preforms are about 30 x 40 mm.

Also not sure how much of the pellets compared to the number of cabs should be used. The person I borrowed this from was not much help....

The barrels have about 1" of both red and blue colored pellets. Not sure what the difference is or which one to start with, or if it even makes a difference.

I hope to get a little help getting started, and perhaps maybe someone from our Gemstone/Lapidary Network Developer forum or the other forum will walk through each step with me this first go around.

Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli, a mineral consisting of lazurite, silica, aluminum,
Calcite and Pyrite, is the result of stones like Limestone and Granite
becoming liquified by flowing magma. Many fine deposits can be
found embedded in layers of these stones.

In rare instances, Lapis will form tiny rhombic dodecahedron (12 sided) crystals. Usually not much larger than a peanut or fingernail. It has been found in greens, some reds and some violets, but the blue has always been the most prized color.

The historic mines in Afghanistan are still the most productive source for Lapis today.
Originally called Sapphire, Lapis Lazuli’s history is long and colorful. During the middle ages in Europe powdered Lapis was used to create a distinctive blue pigment known as ultramarine. This brilliant blue paint was used in many masterpieces and to decorate the hand written manuscripts of the day.

The Egyptian Book Of The Dead describes a monthly ceremony using a Lapis Lazuli carved in
the shape of an eye and decorated with Gold. It was believed that Ra, their supreme God, would put a similar image on his forehead at the same time.

Egyptians also used the gem to create the original blue eye shadows and as a dye for clothing. It was extremely popular as a carved scarab and countless pieces of jewelry have been found in the
pyramids with Lapis stones.

A word of caution if you enjoy wearing this gemstone in jewelry. Lapis is very soft and easily affected by cleaning agents and solvents. Even wearing it in a hot bath can change the color or damage the stone. It can be scratched by almost any other stone, so it is recommended that it be stored away from other pieces.

Lapis Lazuli is a frequently imitated stone. There is a man-made stone call Gilson Synthetic Ultramarine that is very convincing as Lapis. Jasper from Switzerland is often dyed blue and sold as “Swiss Lapis” and a synthetic spinel has been grown in laboratories that recreates the grainy texture of the true gemstone.

The sparkling Pyrite inclusions against the deep blue backdrop of Lapis creates a striking resemblance of the night sky. Early spiritual uses of the gemstone included prophetic dreaming or inviting a peaceful sleep.

This is an excellent meditation tool. Lapis Lazuli is highly effective at opening the Third Eye or 6th Chakra. The stone will allow for better communication with the different dimensions or use it for looking into the future. Keep this psychic stimulator with your divining tools such as Crystal balls, Tarot cards, pendulums etc.

Sleeping with this gemstone can help you see the meaning in your dreams more clearly.
Allowing you to use the messages or information that your subconscious is providing.

Lapis Lazuli will attract true friendships into your life. If your youngster is painfully shy, a small piece of Lapis will give them courage. Use it yourself for better judgment and insight to make tough decisions or to see the truth in misleading situations.

A perfect wedding stone, Lapis promotes fidelity between partners. The same is true for business partnerships. It will give you wisdom and protect you from dangerous emotions like envy and fear.

It can also be worn as protection against danger or to change destructive energies into useful ones. The stone will assist you in balancing your yin yang, allowing you to take advantage of both male and female strengths within you.

As a healer, Lapis Lazuli will aid in overcoming insomnia and as mentioned earlier, used as an antidote for poisons. It can assist in treating eye disorders or pulverized and mixed with water to create a poultice.

Lapis will reduce fevers, help with diseases of the blood or aid in repairing broken bones. It imparts physical strength to the arms and legs and can be used to tranquilize frayed nerves. It provides relief from pain or help you overcome melancholy.

Understanding Gemstone and Jewelry Terminologies and Technical Language

Understanding Gemstone and Jewelry Terminologies and Technical Language

It is easy to feel intimidated and out-of-place when you are visiting ahigh-class jewelry store for the first time. To avoid making unwantedand uninformed purchases, improve your knowledge about jewelry startingwith the tips below. If you speak the same language people in thejewelry industry speak then you all go home with the jewelry piece you want, need, and definitely can afford.
The Meaning of Gemstone
A gemstone may be a rock, mineral, or even a petrified material that iscut and polished to be used for making jewelry. It may even beharvested like pearls or organic material like amber, just as long asit has aesthetic appeal. In the old days, precious gemstones onlyreferred to the Big Three: emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. Everything else was labeled as semi-precious gemstones. Categories today, however, have changed and expanded to avoid further confusion.
The Ins and Outs of Lapidary
Lapidary refers to the process of cutting and polishing gemstones.Rough materials are left uncut and unpolished. Cobbed materials arereferred to as fractured. Materials like silicon carbide and diamond,due to their hardness, are used for cutting gemstones in a progressiveabrasion process. Compounds like aluminum and chromium oxide are, on the other hand, used for polishing gemstones.
Common cutting techniques include tumbling, drilling, polishing,lapping, sanding, grinding, and sawing. Cut gemstones are then polishedinto several forms such as sculptures, intaglios, cameos, mosaics, intarsias, inlays, spheres, beads, cabochons, and faceted stone.
Sawing gemstones

The main tool used in sawing is a copper or steel blade withdiamond grit on the edges. Water or oil is used to eliminate cutting debris and prevent the blade and stone from overheating.
Grinding gemstones
Diamond-impregnated grinding wheels made of silicon carbide are used to grind gemstones and shape them into a pre-form. Liquid substance is also used to prevent both the stone and tool from overheating.
Sanding gemstones
This process is similar to grinding but uses finer abrasives. It isoften performed as a follow-up after grinding for removing scratches caused by the previous cutting technique. For round gemstones, a belt sander may be used to ensure smoother and rounder curves.
Lapping gemstones
A lap, which is a flat disk that is either vibrating or rotating, isused to create flat surfaces rather than round ones. The process however is similar to sanding and grinding.
Drilling gemstones
This technique is used if the lapidarist wishes to create a hole through or in a gemstone. Drilling tools may be rotating or ultrasonic.
Tumbling gemstones
A gemstone that is placed in a rotating barrel filled with water and abrasives is tumbled for polishing. These gemstones are usually roughly shaped and the polishing process is gradual and performed with interval washings. Sometimes, vibratory machines are used in lieu of rotating barrels. This way, the barrels vibrate rather than rotate. Tumbling techniques are also used to polish metal jewelry pieces.
Cabochons
Cabbing or cabochon cutting is achieved by gluing or dopping the gemstone into a metal or wooden dopstick or simply holding it in place. The cabbing machine then twirls and creates a round smooth surface top and a flat or slightly rounded bottom for the gemstone. This is usually an alternative to faceting for gemstones that possess too many inclusions.
Faceted Gemstones
Gemstones that have faceted forms reflect brilliant color and clarity from all sides and at all light levels. This technique is most suitable for transparent stones. Today, new techniques like grooves and concave facets are used to create new looks for faceted gemstones.

Chrysocolla Mineral

Link to discussion

Chrysocolla is another one of Copper's crystal offspring. This hydrated Copper crystal has two distinct personalities. In its purest form, Chrysocolla is brittle, soft and unsuitable for jewelry and such,

without undergoing enhancements. However, if silica is available to
"agatize" a Chrysocolla specimen, the resulting crystal is an enchanting stone, hard enough to cut into jewelry, spheres and unique carvings. These Chrysocolla silicates are also known as gem silica.

Colors in Chrysocolla range from greenish blues, like Turquoise, to a Robin'segg blue in clear gem silica specimens. Like Azurite, Chrysocolla often occurs mixed with Malachite, Turquoise and the above, resulting in unusually beautiful gemstones.The stone forms after Copper deposits are diluted by hydrothermal solutions, often rich in silicates (Quartz) and other minerals. This material deposits in surface stones,

where it is weathered away by rains and winds. Ultimately it leaches
back into Mother finally crystallizing into Chrysocolla, as well as
Turquoise, Malachite, Wulfenite, Azurite and dozens of other sedimentary gems.

Some of the finest specimens of Chrysocolla Gem Silica are found in the Arizona mines. The deposits in the Keystone mine were first discovered in 1905. Though Native Americans had mined similar material from nearby locations hundreds of years earlier.

Jasper mineral and historical information

Jasper has been used as gemstones and manyother ornamental items for thousands of years.

During the medieval times jasper is said to have given the wearer, with God's help, power for healing insanity and to heal those possessed. During the fourth century, wearers of a green jasper was said to bring about rain and cure snake bites.
Jasper amulets were engraved with passages from the Book of the Dead by the ancient Egyptians to ensure a safe passage for the deceased into the realm of the dead.

Some earliest primitive stone tools (axes) were fashioned by man's ancestors 2.5 million years ago in the are of the Omo valley in Ethiopia. They were made of quartz varieties such as jasper or chert. These materials were used because of their hardness and their isotropic brittleness which made it easy to shape their tools with relative ease.

The astrological sign of jasper is leo. Jasper is an alternate birthstone for the month of January. (Read More........)

Variscite Gemstone Mineral

Variscite Gemstone Mineral

With all the talk about blue turquoise these days, it seems that some have overlooked the equally beautiful green gemstone variscite as it will gain in polularity. The fact is that many people can not tell the difference between the greener types of turquoise and variscite. They are both phosphates. The general opinion is that they do not occur together, although there are some obvious exceptions. The new “marquise,” is an example, and seems to be somewhere between the two in composition, and also has some of the characteristics of each.

The popular variscite is what it is all about in Fairfield nodules. It is deep green in color when in compact masses coupled with the magnificently color associated minerals makes these nodules the finest ever found. Variscite has a hardness of 3.5 to 4.5 yet is dense enough in solid masses to polish well.

Unakite

Unakite

Unakite is a granite like mineral which includes a lot of pistachio green epidote with some pink feldspar and white or gray quartz. It is a granular rock found in places in the Appalachians, and also widely distributed in alluvial deposits. Sometimes the arrangement of constituents resembles flowers, polka dots or even clouds.

Mawsitsit

Mawsitsit Gemstone Cabochon

For those not familiar, Mawsitsit is an opaque rock, presumably metamorphic, with fine, sharply defined, 'flowing' green and black bands. There are sometimes small white areas, and translucent veins running through it, which are albite. Besides banding, however, there are rocks with only black dots on solid green, others with botroidal, fibrous growth of light green into clear albite or black. Other samples look like green permafrost patterns on a very fine scale.

Obsidian

Obsidian has been known and used as a nuatual form of glass since prehistoric times, but today it features largely as a gemstone.

Main Sources: Most obsidian forms in small outcrops, but large expanses sometimes occur, as in the Valles Caldren, New Mexico, and the Glass Buttes, Oregon.

Used by people in ancient times as a cutting tool and a weapon, the finest specimens of obsidian are today used as gems or ornamental stones.

The English name "obsidian" is derived from the Latin obsianus lapis - a stone that, according to the Roman historian Pliny, was discovered by someone named Obsius in Ethiopia.

Obsidian forms either from viscous lava- hot fluid made sticky by the fact that it contains only about one percent water, or from lava that has come into contact with water in a lake or sea so suddenly that it has cooled and resolidified too quickly for crystals to form. Its crystals have no discernible structure and it is therefore described as amorphous.

Internally, obsidian is composed of tiny, tightly packed, embryonic crystals that disperse incident light in such a way as to make the rock appear predominantly black. It can contain small air bubbles, trapped by the sudden cooling process, that can cause interesting optical effects such as the golden play of light in sheen obsidian and the iridescence of rainbow obsidian.

The rock may also contain small, white, radially clustered crystals of cristobalite, which create snowflake obsidian. This is one of the forms most widely used in decoration. Yet not all the matter found in obsidian is microscopic, the largest inclusions may measure more than 3 ft in diameter.

Fragments of obsidian that have been smoothed and rounded by the action of wind and water are known as Apache tears.