4" Polished Silver Sheen Obsidian Sphere - Mexico

Obsidian is a natural volcanic "glass" that is formed when molten rock cools so quickly that the atoms don't have enough time to arrange themselves into crystals. To form obsidian, the composition of the lava must be high in silica. Depending on the minerals present within this lava along with the cooling rate, a variety of colorful bands, spots, or swirls can appear once the lava has solidified. Pure obsidian is often a solid black color, but impurities can result in small color variations throughout.

The silver sheen in silver sheen obsidian is caused by tiny gas bubbles trapped in the glass. These tiny bubbles have been stretched nearly flat along the flow layers, causing light to reflect in such a way as to produce that characteristic golden or silver sheen in the obsidian.