Black Obsidian Crystal Bracelet

Obsidian is natural volcanic glass - lava so rich in silica that it cooled too quickly for crystals to form, freezing instead into a smooth, glassy solid. It has no crystal structure at all, which is why it breaks in the curved, razor-edged fractures called conchoidal.

Black obsidian reads as a deep, even black with a bright glassy lustre, often translucent at a thin edge where it glows brown against the light. Mohs 5-5.5, softer than quartz, and brittle as glass is.

Because it fractures to an edge finer than surgical steel, obsidian was the cutting tool of the ancient world long before metal - the same property that makes it beautiful made it the first blade.

Asked often

Is obsidian a crystal?
No - it is volcanic glass, lava cooled too fast to crystallise. That is its nature: a glass, not a mineral crystal, which is why it is so smooth and breaks to such a sharp edge.

Is the black natural?
Yes. The colour is iron and magnesium in the glass; no dye. Held to the light, a thin edge often glows translucent brown.

Is it fragile?
It is brittle, like all glass - Mohs 5-5.5, and it can chip to a sharp edge if knocked. Worn with a little care it lasts; it dislikes hard impacts.

How do I care for it?
Wipe with a soft, slightly damp cloth and dry. Spare the beads hard knocks, which can chip the glass, and keep the cord dry.

Obsidian shaped the ancient world’s edge. The peoples of Mesoamerica knapped it into blades, arrowheads, and ceremonial knives, and polished it into mirrors; across the Neolithic Mediterranean and Anatolia it was traded over long distances for tools, one of the earliest trade goods archaeologists can track.

For its depth and its mirror-black surface obsidian was read as a stone of reflection and clear sight across many cultures - named here as what people believed. The black is frozen lava; what is seen in it is the wearer’s.

1. Worn on either wrist, over the hand, on a durable elastic cord.
2. Hold it to the light - a thin edge glows translucent brown.
3. Wipe with a soft, slightly damp cloth and dry.
4. Brittle as glass - spare the beads hard knocks, and keep the cord dry.

Many traditions rinse or air their stones from time to time; that is a matter of preference, and the rest is yours.

The elastic cord lasts longest kept dry - remove before swimming, bathing, or applying scent. Spare the beads hard knocks; do not soak.

• Material: Obsidian · volcanic glass
• Composition: Silica-rich natural glass (no crystal structure)
• Hardness: Mohs 5–5.5
• Character: Deep glassy black · conchoidal fracture
• Treatment: None · natural
• Band: Durable elastic cord
• Origin: Mexico
• Care: Soft cloth · spare hard knocks · keep the cord dry