Snowflake Obsidian

Snowflake obsidian is a type of volcanic glass that contains inclusions of white, gray, or black snowflake like crystals.

It is formed when lava cools rapidly and solidifies before the crystals within the obsidian can fully form.

As the obsidian cools, tiny particles of a mineral called cristobalite form and arrange themselves in a snowflake like pattern, creating the distinctive appearance of snowflake obsidian.

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Information about Snowflake Obsidian

 

Appearance

Snowflake Obsidian is a variety of the volcanic glass known as Obsidian. It is always black, and contains inclusions of white-grey-brown Cristobalite, which can occur as radial crystals, circular blobs, spherulites, or semi random looking scattered blobs.

Uses and History

Other than being carved and polished, snowflake Obsidian has no uses in industry, it is purely decorative.

Native Americans and other ancient peoples were known to use Obsidian for cutting tools and arrowheads; it is possible some snowflake Obsidian may have been used but I am not aware of any archaeological finds making this distinction from regular black Obsidian.

 

Locales

Snowflake Obsidian can presumably occur anywhere where regular ‘black’ Obsidian can occur, but it doesn’t seem to be quite as common.

The two biggest sources I am aware of are Glass Buttes, Oregon, USA and Sevier Lake, Utah, USA. I have also heard of deposits being found in Mexico and Argentina but haven’t found too much reliable information on them.

Mineralogy

Chemistry
SiO2 with inclusions of cristobalite (also SiO2, a high temperature polymorph)
Colours and Variations
Black with grey-white spots.
Streak
White
Luster
Vitreous
Transparency
Translucent to opaque
Fracture
Conchoidal
Crystal habit
Amorphous, glassy
Mohs hardness
5-6
Fluorescence
Specific Gravity
2.4 (may vary on composition and inclusions)
Easiest testing method
Visual inspection, fracture

Hazards and Warnings

Can be very sharp!

Almost all rocks, minerals (and, frankly, almost all other substances on earth) can produce toxic dust when cutting, which can cause serious respiratory conditions including silicosis.

When cutting or polishing rocks, minerals, shells, etc, all work should be done wet to minimise the dust, and a suitable respirator or extraction system should be used.

Translations

Arabic:

  • سبج ندفة الثلج

Hindi:

  • स्नोफ्लेक ओब्सीडियन

Portuguese:

  • obsidiana floco de neve

Bengali:

  • স্নোফ্লেক ওবসিডিয়ান

Indonesian:

  • obsidian kepingan salju

Punjabi:

English:

  • snowflake obsidian
  • cristobalite in obsidian
  • cristobalite included obsidian

Italian:

  • ossidiana fiocco di neve

Russian:

  • снежинка из обсидиана

French:

  • obsidienne flocon de neige

Japanese:

  • スノーフレーク黒曜石

Spanish:

  • obsidiana copo de nieve

German:

  • Schneeflockenobsidian

Korean:

  • 눈송이 흑요석

Thai:

  • ออบซิเดียนเกล็ดหิมะ

Gujurati:

Mandarin Chinese:

  • 雪花黑曜石

Urdu:

Further Reading / External Links