Obsidian Jewelry Fashion

Dark black tones with glossy glass like surface, reflections from lustres of golden to rainbow – obsidian is a volcanic glass prized for deeply enigmatic mystery.

Often viewed as a pendant gemstone obsidian is in fact a volcanic glass that can be delicately shaped into beautiful creations owing to slightly greater natural hardness than glass.

Larger pendants seen in the market are often cut from natural rocks that are etched with spiritual meaning as obsidian is a favoured stone for metaphysical collectors.

Believers in the power of natural crystals say obsidian jewelry confers protection against myriad types of negative energy by acting as a trap for these accumulations of unwanted energies that swirl around in us.

As fashion orientated jewelry obsidian is often set with clear black pendants whose colourful settings of silver and gold metals act to further emphasise the enigmatic black tone that is naturally projected from the stone.

Though harder than most glasses obsidian is best seen as a gemstone for showing beauty and mystique, susceptible to chipping when suddenly shocked this volcanic glass gemstone is rarely seen in rings and care should be taken when worn as a bracelet.

Obsidian Jewelry Design

In our own jewelry collections obsidian is frequently set against clearer natural crystals and white moonstones which both lighten the hue of the piece while serving as a foil that sets the famed black colour as a focus of the design.

Naturally matching well to gothic concept necklaces and bracelets this ancient gemstone is a very good fit to enigmatic personalities being alive with hidden depth and beautiful in subtle ranges of coloured lustre.

More examples of gothic obsidian jewelry bracelets and necklaces can be seen under our gothic collections page.

YAN obsidian jewelry design follows new modern styling elements that carry lightness and life which in darker gothic designs with careful setting of floral brocades, silver flower elements and simple quartzes present in designs that are both beautifully dark and alive with life at the same time.

Juxtaposition of black obsidian against lighter crystals not only lightens overly dark tones but further makes this stunning loved gemstone stand out in design.

A natural fit for cabochon jewelry and beads with simpler rounded shapes obsidian posses great depth of colour hidden in the gemstones depth which under some lighting conditions reflect a variety of fascinating light.

Bead jewelry is often simply strung and matched to beautiful silver adornments which add levity to this darker jewel, our own designer has matched the coloured reflected sheens of obsidian to different gemstone tones which serve to resonate with the surprising colours that emanate from obsidian lustre.

See further examples of obsidian jewelry on our collections page and check our fashion articles and fashion features for designer colourful styles that include this semi precious gemstone.

Obsidian Jewelry Origins

Named after the Roman explorer Obsidius who over two thousand years ago made the first recorded discovery of this beautiful stone in Ethiopia, obsidian has been prized for it’s natural properties and glass like quality.

In nature obsidian forms naturally when lava rich in quartz forming minerals – felsic lava – cools so rapidly that the minerals of the lava have no time to form crystals, freezing together so rapidly that the gemstone structure is as if a liquid has instantly frozen into a solid.

With a black glass like sheen obsidian can preserve small microscopic bubbles which scatter light just under it’s translucent surface while other precious mineral inclusions allow the surface to ripple with reflected patterns of rainbow and shimmering light.

Obsidian in Natural

Though not considered a crystal gemstone due to it’s glass like structure obsidian will however very slowly and little by little become closer to one.

Black as formed from the Earth this beautiful gemstone will slowly turn white in places as with the passing of time the natural black glass becomes crystalline, forming delicate white snowflakes which are visible through the surface.

As with many gemstones obsidian has been loved by people since being first discovered, these early people most likely discovered obsidian by the glass like facets that project from fractured surfaces of obsidian rocks when found on the surface.

Quickly found to form a sharp cutting surface and fracturing into shapes conducive to making hand axes obsidian was traded throughout the ancient world as a desirable cutting tool, natural mirror and protective gemstone.

From the island of Melos in the Mediterranean where it was widely quarried for hand tools obsidian was traded across thousands of miles of the European continent while ancient Egyptian peoples imported obsidian from as far away as the red sea.

Obsidian Culture

An extensively quarried gemstone obsidian was in high demand across America, Europe and Africa with the select volcanic places where it was found being extensively mined and traded by people over both land and sea routes.

Dated from the eighth millennium BC an obsidian bracelet with central annular ring from what is now Turkey was found polished to such a degree that it was as a mirror in finish and circular to within only a single degree, showing this natural gemstone was regarded highly in ancient crafts.

Of the later second millennia BC the Necklace of Renisenib was a fantastic gold and obsidian piece found to be still adorned to the mummy of an Egyptian royal who was discovered in the Nile valley.

The south American Mayan use of jewelry included obsidian where it was widely traded across the continent in paper thin ear rings and pendants while the famous “John Dee Mirror” is an example of a pitch black polished obsidian mirror whose dark depths allowed it’s owner to peer into the spirit plane and was reportedly an artefact of the Inca empire.

Prized across widely different cultures, peoples and times obsidian is a beautiful gemstone which has a fabulous history as a loved jewel that carries a dark mystique that no other gemstone can dream to match.