How do you know if obsidian is real?

Obsidians – These are luxurious black minerals, which are also called “volcanic glass”. This happens because their formation is directly related to the formation and solidification of magma. Its volcanic origin gives the rock quite a few unique properties and beauty, but the mineral is not considered expensive or rare. Its amorphous structure and hardening in the depths of the Earth create its rich, deep shades and glassy luster. The stone got its name thanks to the many legends and myths that formed around the beautiful crystal back in ancient times. It was believed that the first to reveal obsidian to the world was the warrior Obsidius, who survived terrible battles with enemies, went through many trials and, protected by an amulet made of stone, returned home alive. Since then, people began to believe that the mineral has a protective function and wards off misfortune from its owner. They used it for treatment, used it to make religious paraphernalia, carved the faces of saints, and prayed on slabs. This inexpensive stone has become a symbol of strength and heavenly protection. Appearance The rock consists mainly of fossilized lava. This is a volcanic material that does not have a high level of hardness, but it shines incredibly brightly. Obsidian is considered a fragile stone, which is dense in structure, translucent or can be completely transparent. Color spectrum obsidian mineral dark. Mostly these are black shades, brown, sometimes gray, with a green or red tint. Often, during the formation process, the stone acquires patterns that look like stripes, spots, or smudges. This is how lava is formed and flows, solidifying in different directions and layers. The stone owes its dark shades to the presence of magnetin in its composition. There are other impurities in the rock that affect its different undertones. Initially, the texture of the mineral is uneven, but after polishing it becomes smooth, acquiring a pearlescent, golden or silvery sheen. This gives nobility to the stone, for which many jewelers love it. Performing the shaping The softness of the stone implies its soft forms. That is, the mineral is not processed into complex types of cuts, despite its potentially bright shine. Usually it is given a cabochon shape, which is actively used as an insert in jewelry, for inlays, and for making rosaries or beads. The stone lends itself well to grinding and polishing, thereby leveling its surface, eliminating the initially uneven shape and increasing the shine of the crystal. Stone cutting is very simple, which is why it is often used. This is usually used to create crafts and figurines from obsidian. In rare cases, completely transparent obsidians can be processed with a facet cut. gentrification obsidian stone not exposed. No impregnation, irradiation, or oiling are used. Rarely do craftsmen resort to bleaching a mineral to obtain a Nevada diamond from it. Application Even in ancient times, obsidian was used as a sharp tool. The stone split in very interesting ways, forming sharp edges that served as blades, spears and arrowheads. People also believed in the powerful powers of the stone and used it as a protective amulet. Today, obsidian has become more of an ornamental and industrial stone. Inexpensive crafts, souvenirs, and various paraphernalia are made from it. Religious objects are also held in high esteem; beautiful rosaries are made from obsidian. It is used to make jewelry, used for cutting, and for home decor and landscaping. In addition, obsidian is considered a semi-precious stone, which also has a place in jewelry. But due to its softness and fragility, it is impossible to accurately and quickly cut it, especially into complex types of cuts, so the choice of jewelry with the mineral is small. Obsidian is an applied stone that is used in the creation of sculptures and architectural works. It produces beautiful masterpieces of art. Therefore, a mineral often becomes a museum item, including a collection item. As with all rocks, obsidian can be rare in size or color, making it highly sought after by experienced collectors. A considerable part of the mined rock is allocated to the industrial sector. It is used in construction as a source of perlite, a component used in thermal insulation and filling. Magical properties Obsidian is considered a protective stone that can protect against misfortunes, evil spirits and the negative effects of the other world. Since ancient times, the mineral has been given magical powers, which were used to create amulets and amulets for the home. It was believed that the stone actively protected children, which is why children’s talismans were created. In the religious aspect, special paraphernalia was made from obsidian, the faces of saints were carved and rosaries were made. This is a very motivating stone that saturates with energy and gives strength. With him, life’s difficulties are easily endured, he instills a strong will. The mineral helps fight laziness and encourages the elimination of procrastination. This is an excellent talisman for people who are slow and weak in character. It helps them fight uncertainty and puts them in an active mood. Medicinal propertiesObsidian – a very useful assistant in psychological matters. Since it puts you in a positive and active mood, it is often used to eliminate depressive and apathetic states. This is a fighter for a positive attitude, for calmness and adequacy. It helps to bring yourself to your senses, you can meditate on it. With its help, pressures and fears, anxieties, and other mental disorders are eliminated. The crystal is also useful in the treatment of diseases associated with the heart, blood vessels, and intestines. Obsidian is able to normalize blood pressure, and in general it strengthens the body. It is good to use it for colds; for this purpose, the talisman is worn near the neck or chest. You should not wear obsidian jewelry often; it should be allowed to rest. Counterfeits It is not so easy to distinguish fake obsidian, because the real stone is like glass. But there are ways in which you can try to understand whether this is the original or not:

A natural mineral, if you first hold it in one hand and then put it in the other, will not be heated even after a couple of minutes.
Examine your pebble in the sun. It should shine beautifully and begin to shimmer with a pearlescent or silvery sheen.
Although obsidian is called glass, its shine is still more obvious and bright.
Natural stone can have exceptionally rich and deep shades with unique, inimitable patterns.

Care

Obsidians are soft and fragile and cannot withstand temperature changes, shock or falls. They should definitely have a separate storage space where they cannot be scratched by other minerals. You can wash it with a delicate simple soap, but it is important to rinse the product well and then wipe it dry so that there are no streaks or deposits harmful to the stone. It is better if the jewelry is periodically shown to a specialist to update the polish and for careful care and maintenance.

Materials and fabrics

Updated 29.02.2024
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When choosing jewelry made from valuable and beautiful stones, it is unlikely that anyone would want to buy a piece of glass or plastic for a decent amount of money. But this is exactly how obsidian is copied. Today you will learn how to distinguish real obsidian from a fake.

The stone is quite common, but at the same time valuable. Jewelry is not the cheapest.

There are several signs by which you can find out how to distinguish real obsidian from a fake.

Video: Different types of obsidian in raw form Download

What is this stone

Of course, obsidian, unlike fake diamonds, is not as valuable.

But scammers still like to use this stone, creating imitations and copies. After all, obsidian is used for various purposes, including magical and ritual products.

The stone is very beautiful and amazing.

Obsidian is a stone of volcanic origin. Another name is volcanic glass.

The mineral received its name in honor of the famous warrior of Ancient Rome, whose name was Obsidius. It was he who brought the stones to Rome.

But, depending on the time in history, as well as on the peoples, the stone also bore many other names.

Video: Secrets of obsidian stone Download

Application area

Such a natural stone or mineral as obsidian has a fairly wide range of applications.

It is used to make the following elements:

crafts;
souvenirs;
attributes;
religious items;
beads;
magic items;
bijouterie;
carved decorations;
home decor;
landscape design elements;
sculptures;
figurines.

Obsidian is a semi-precious stone. This attracts scammers who sell imitations of obsidian under the guise of valuable jewelry.

But it is important to consider that the volcanic mineral is quite fragile and also soft. Fast and accurate cutting is impossible here. Complex types of cuts are also not used. So in practice, the range of jewelry made using volcanic glass is limited.

For collectors, stones that are rare in color and size are of particular value.

Video: Fake or natural stone? Part 2 Download

Appearance

Now let’s talk about obsidian stone – how to distinguish a fake, and also what you need to pay attention to.

To recognize a deception, it is necessary to understand all the characteristic features of a genuine stone.

Obsidian stone or volcanic glass has several characteristic features in appearance:

the base of the product is petrified lava;
natural material is not characterized by high strength;
at the same time, it has a bright shine;
the stone is quite fragile in structure, but dense;
mostly translucent, but sometimes transparent;
The color range of this mineral is dark;
Mostly stones are found in black, brown, and gray tones;
the undertone is red or green;
natural origin allows you to see formed patterns in the form of stripes, spots, and smudges;
this is caused by influxes of solidifying lava.

The dark tones are due to the fact that the mineral contains magnetin.

It is natural impurities, which can be different, that affect the undertone.

Its popularity among jewelers is due to the fact that after polishing the mineral acquires a smooth structure and also acquires a golden, silver or pearlescent sheen.

Video: HEALING OBSIDIAN. WHO IS THIS STONE SUITABLE FOR? Download

Processing Features

Another option for distinguishing real obsidian from a fake is to look at the processing features of the jewelry.

The stone is quite soft, which is why it cannot be processed into complex cuts.

If you come across an obsidian product with a complex shape, you can probably say that it is a fake.

The mineral can be ground well and also polished. This allows you to level the surface. Natural uneven shapes are eliminated and shine is further enhanced.

Cutting is another popular way to process stone. This is due to the same softness of the natural mineral.

But it is not customary to refine obsidian. Also, impregnation, oiling, or irradiation are not used.

Occasionally, craftsmen discolor the material. This allows you to obtain the so-called Nevada diamond.

Discolored obsidian can be passed off as a gemstone. Although in practice this does not happen so often. It’s too easy to spot a fake.

Video: How to understand that a stone is natural? Download

Signs of fake obsidian

Now specifically to the question of how to distinguish obsidian from a fake.

Each mineral has its own distinctive characteristics. Take, for example, the same moonstone, or the popular and sought-after amber, which are also actively counterfeited.

The main difficulty in recognizing fake obsidian is that the mineral itself looks very similar to glass.

Therefore, experts were able to identify several methods that will help in this matter.

Hand test . A very simple but effective authentication method. You need to take the mineral in one hand and hold it for a while. Then transfer it to the other hand. In a couple of minutes, natural volcanic glass does not heat up. That is, when transferring, a chill is felt;
Sun check . Now bring the stone to the sun’s rays. Under the sun, a real mineral shines beautifully and also shimmers with a silver or pearlescent glow;
Brilliance . Yes, it’s volcanic glass. But, unlike ordinary glass, the shine of this mineral should be rich and also bright;
Shades and patterns . It is impossible to fake an unusual and beautiful natural pattern using artificial means. How to make a rich, deep shade.

These are the main ways that will help you understand whether it is real obsidian or a fake.

Additional tests

There are a couple more tests that are hardly worth using in practice. But still, it’s worth learning about them too.

The fact is that volcanic glass is soft and also brittle. It does not withstand strong temperature changes and mechanical shocks.

In other words, if a product is heated or thrown onto a hard surface, it will become deformed and break. It is unlikely that anyone will want to risk a product purchased for decent money.

The surface is also susceptible to scratches. But this is not worth checking either. Especially in the store.

If you treat a natural mineral with regular soap and do not wipe it dry, then after drying, streaks and plaque will form on the surface.

Now you know enough about such a stone as obsidian.

Whether to believe in its magical or healing properties is up to each individual. But one cannot argue with the fact that volcanic glass makes beautiful jewelry as well as exquisite crafts. The main thing is that they are not fakes.

Who is familiar with obsidian? What products or jewelry did you buy? What did you like about the mineral? How was it checked for authenticity? What did the test show?

We are waiting for answers, as well as stories from personal experience.

That’s all. Let’s say goodbye. Thank you for your attention!

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