Apache TearsĪpache Tears are another form of Obsidian and are found in the USA. Snowflake Obsidian will help release unhealthy thought patterns and ease loneliness. This crystal is known as a 'stone of purity' and provides balance and helps with centering. Not only is Snowflake Obsidian a very pretty crystal, it is also a very calming and soothing crystal. Silver Sheen Obsidian is also considered to be a great crystal to use whilst meditating or when you need to be focused and have more patience. Melody, the author of 'Love is in the Earth' recommends using Silver Sheen Obsidian for gazing as it 'acts to provide information concerning the 'root' of the problem or situation.' and 'It can also be used as a mirror to the soul, one to stimulate seeing the self as others see you'. If you'd like to try your hand at crystal gazing, try using Silver Sheen Obsidian. The gods, feeling pity for her, turned her tears to Golden Obsidian.' When much time had passed, Xochitzol realised that her mate was not going to return, so she began to cry. She vowed to wait for him until his return. In the crystal book Crystals for Energy Healing, Ashley Leavy shares a Mexican legend about Golden Sheen Obsidian where 'a woman named Xochitzol, meaning 'flower of the sun', who was separated from her love when he was sent off to war. This crystal is a protector, providing a feeling of safety and compassion. Golden Sheen Obsidian is said to help with patience and can balance energy fields. If this is the case for you, try working with one of the more gentler forms of Obsidian such as Snowflake Obsidian. Black Obsidian can be used to protect you against environmental pollution. Some people find Black Obsidian too overwhelming.

It can also increase self-control and provide support during any change.

Variations of Obsidian Black Obsidianīlack Obsidian is a very powerful and protective crystal, it grounds the soul and magnifies any negative energy so that it can be addressed.

Today, Obsidian is being trialled for use as blades in surgery as they are much sharper than standard steel scalpels. Meanwhile on Easter Island, Obsidian was not only used for weapons, it was also used to decorate the eyes on their statues. Obsidian was also polished to make some of the earliest mirrors known to exist. Historically, many ancient civilisations used Obsidian to make arrowheads and blades as Obsidian could be shaped into extremely sharp weapons. Obsidian is a crystal that needs to be cleansed after each use as it soaks up so much negative energy. These 'snowflakes' form when the Obsidian changes and becomes partially crystallised, forming Cristobalite which is a type of Quartz. Snowflake Obsidian is another variety of Obsidian which has white or grey patterns that look like snowflakes. For example, Golden Sheen and Silver Sheen Obsidian get their 'sheen' appearance from left over gas bubbles from flowing Lava. Rainbow Obsidian flashes beautiful rainbow colours when light hits it and has a green-tint to it. Rarer forms of Obsidian can have a metallic 'sheen' to them which is due to light reflecting mineral inclusions or gas bubbles. The most common colour of Obsidian is black however it can also be brown, tan, red or green. Sometimes two colours are mixed together, such as Mahogany Obsidian, which is made up with a mixture of brown and black Obsidian. it rates as a 5-6 on the Mohs hardness scale which makes it weaker than Quartz which is a 7, however it is much stronger than Calcite which is a 3. Obsidian can be found in Ecuador, Indonesia, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the United States and other volcanic areas. Obsidian is a smooth, glossy crystal however you may also find it to be brittle and have sharp edges. This lightweight, translucent crystal was named after its discoverer, the Roman explorer Obsius who came across Obsidian in Ethiopia. In fact, it cooled so quickly that it has no internal crystalline structure and is therefore classified as a mineraloid instead of a crystal. Other examples of mineraloids are Amber, Jet and Opal.

Obsidian is actually molten lava, or volcanic glass, that cooled extremely quickly.

Ancient obsidian mirror