Obsidian, Golden, Natural, Faceted Round, One 3mm Strand

Obsidian, Golden, Natural, Faceted  Round, 3mm Strand.

This price is for one strand 15 to 16 inches long. 

 3mm strands have 128 to 133 pieces.

Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed in swiftly cooling lava that has a high silica content. It is not considered a true mineral, as it does not have a consistent chemical content and it does not form crystals. Obsidian is commonly found within the margins of the lava flows known as obsidian flows. It has a glassy texture and a glass like luster. The color in Obsidian varies, depending on impurities in the parent lava formation.  The various shades of Obsidian include black, rainbow, snowflake, gold, and mahogany. Obsidian is hard and brittle and was commonly used for tools.

Obsidian is found in locations which have undergone volcanic eruptions. It can be found in many countries around the world, like Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Greece, Guatemala, Iceland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, Turkey. In the United States it is not usually found east of the Mississippi River, as there is no geologically recent volcanic activity there. In the western US it is found at many locations in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. 

Golden obsidian is formed when patterns of gas bubbles are aligned along layers created by the flowing lava before it solidified. The colors of Golden Obsidian and from black, dark brown or dark grey with iridescent golden shimmer. Obsidian is found all over the world; however, Golden Obsidian are most likely to be mined in Mexico and the United States (Oregon).

 Hardness 5-6

This is a natural stone that has had no treatment other than cutting, drilling, and polishing.

The source of these beads is China and they are cut, drilled and polished in China.