Obsidian Gemstone Beads
Obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass, is formed when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth. Its smooth, glossy texture and rich, uniform color make it a favorite among gemstone enthusiasts. Originating deep within Earth, obsidian can range in color from deep black to browns and even greens, often displaying a mesmerizing sheen.
Facts: Obsidian has been a material of choice for tool-making and decorative art since prehistoric times. Ancient civilizations, including the Maya and the Aztecs, valued obsidian highly, employing it for cutting tools, mirrors, and ornamental objects. Its sharp edges and easy workability made it perfect for detailed carving and jewelry, establishing it as a significant trade item.
Metaphysical / Holistic: Obsidian is also renowned for its metaphysical properties. It is believed to protect against negativity and promote emotional stability, making it an ideal choice for jewelry that offers both beauty and spiritual benefits.
Golden Obsidian 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Original price
$11.00
-
Original price
$11.00
Original price
$11.00
$11.00
-
$11.00
Golden Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass, shiny black with a golden sheen. Obsidian is produced when lava erupts from a volcano and ...
View full details
Original price
$11.00
-
Original price
$11.00
Original price
$11.00
$11.00
-
$11.00
Golden Obsidian 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Original price
$9.00
-
Original price
$9.00
Original price
$9.00
$9.00
-
$9.00
Golden Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass, shiny black with a golden sheen. Obsidian is produced when lava erupts from a volcano and ...
View full details
Original price
$9.00
-
Original price
$9.00
Original price
$9.00
$9.00
-
$9.00
Rainbow Obsidian 6mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Original price
$9.00
-
Original price
$9.00
Original price
$9.00
$9.00
-
$9.00
Rainbow Obsidian earned its name from the chatoyant, rainbow effect of light refracting off of the air buddles inside of the stone. Like all obsidi...
View full details
Original price
$9.00
-
Original price
$9.00
Original price
$9.00
$9.00
-
$9.00
Rainbow Obsidian 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Original price
$8.00
-
Original price
$8.00
Original price
$8.00
$8.00
-
$8.00
Rainbow Obsidian earned its name from the chatoyant, rainbow effect of light refracting off of the air bubbles inside of the stone. Like all obsidi...
View full details
Original price
$8.00
-
Original price
$8.00
Original price
$8.00
$8.00
-
$8.00
Rainbow Obsidian 6mm Round - 15-16 inch
Original price
$12.00
-
Original price
$12.00
Original price
$12.00
$12.00
-
$12.00
Rainbow Obsidian earned its name from the chatoyant, rainbow effect of light refracting off of the air bubbles inside of the stone. Like all obsidi...
View full details
Original price
$12.00
-
Original price
$12.00
Original price
$12.00
$12.00
-
$12.00
Rainbow Obsidian 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Original price
$11.00
-
Original price
$11.00
Original price
$11.00
$11.00
-
$11.00
Rainbow Obsidian earned its name from the chatoyant, rainbow effect of light refracting off of the air buddles inside of the stone. Like all obsidi...
View full details
Original price
$11.00
-
Original price
$11.00
Original price
$11.00
$11.00
-
$11.00
Golden Obsidian 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Original price
$8.00
-
Original price
$8.00
Original price
$8.00
$8.00
-
$8.00
Golden Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass, shiny black with a golden sheen. Obsidian is produced when lava erupts from a volcano and ...
View full details
Original price
$8.00
-
Original price
$8.00
Original price
$8.00
$8.00
-
$8.00
Rainbow Obsidian 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Original price
$14.00
-
Original price
$14.00
Original price
$14.00
$14.00
-
$14.00
Rainbow Obsidian earned its name from the chatoyant, rainbow effect of light refracting off of the air buddles inside of the stone. Like all obsidi...
View full details
Original price
$14.00
-
Original price
$14.00
Original price
$14.00
$14.00
-
$14.00
Rainbow Obsidian 10mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Original price
$13.00
-
Original price
$13.00
Original price
$13.00
$13.00
-
$13.00
Rainbow Obsidian earned its name from the chatoyant, rainbow effect of light refracting off of the air buddles inside of the stone. Like all obsidi...
View full details
Original price
$13.00
-
Original price
$13.00
Original price
$13.00
$13.00
-
$13.00
Golden Obsidian 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Original price
$16.00
-
Original price
$16.00
Original price
$16.00
$16.00
-
$16.00
Golden Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass, shiny black with a golden sheen. Obsidian is produced when lava erupts from a volcano and ...
View full details
Original price
$16.00
-
Original price
$16.00
Original price
$16.00
$16.00
-
$16.00
Mahogany Obsidian 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Original price
$12.00
-
Original price
$12.00
Original price
$12.00
$12.00
-
$12.00
Essentially a volcanic glass, Obsidian ranges in color from opaque black, to green, brown, mahogany, black with rainbow colors, black with snowflak...
View full details
Original price
$12.00
-
Original price
$12.00
Original price
$12.00
$12.00
-
$12.00
Mahogany Obsidian 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Original price
$9.00
-
Original price
$9.00
Original price
$9.00
$9.00
-
$9.00
Essentially a volcanic glass, Obsidian ranges in color from opaque black, to green, brown, mahogany, black with rainbow colors, black with snowflak...
View full details
Original price
$9.00
-
Original price
$9.00
Original price
$9.00
$9.00
-
$9.00
Mahogany Obsidian 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Original price
$7.00
-
Original price
$7.00
Original price
$7.00
$7.00
-
$7.00
Essentially a volcanic glass, Obsidian ranges in color from opaque black, to green, brown, mahogany, black with rainbow colors, black with snowflak...
View full details
Original price
$7.00
-
Original price
$7.00
Original price
$7.00
$7.00
-
$7.00
Mahogany Obsidian 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Original price
$6.00
-
Original price
$6.00
Original price
$6.00
$6.00
-
$6.00
Essentially a volcanic glass, Obsidian ranges in color from opaque black, to green, brown, mahogany, black with rainbow colors, black with snowflak...
View full details
Original price
$6.00
-
Original price
$6.00
Original price
$6.00
$6.00
-
$6.00
Rainbow Obsidian 10mm Round - 15-16 inch
Original price
$16.00
-
Original price
$16.00
Original price
$16.00
$16.00
-
$16.00
Rainbow Obsidian earned its name from the chatoyant, rainbow effect of light refracting off of the air bubbles inside of the stone. Like all obsidi...
View full details
Original price
$16.00
-
Original price
$16.00
Original price
$16.00
$16.00
-
$16.00
Golden Obsidian Natural 6mm Round Large Hole Beads - 8 Inch
Original price
$10.00
-
Original price
$10.00
Original price
$10.00
$10.00
-
$10.00
Golden Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass, shiny black with a golden sheen. Obsidian is produced when lava erupts from a volcano and ...
View full details
Original price
$10.00
-
Original price
$10.00
Original price
$10.00
$10.00
-
$10.00
Obsidian 8x10mm Triangle Cut Faceted Puff Oval - 15-16-Inch
Original price
$26.00
-
Original price
$26.00
Original price
$26.00
$26.00
-
$26.00
Essentially a volcanic glass, Obsidian ranges in color from opaque black, to green, brown, mahogany, black with rainbow colors, black with snowflak...
View full details
Original price
$26.00
-
Original price
$26.00
Original price
$26.00
$26.00
-
$26.00
Black Obsidian 13x15mm Faceted Top Drilled Irregular Tear Drop - 15-16 Inch
Original price
$28.00
-
Original price
$28.00
Original price
$28.00
$28.00
-
$28.00
0
Original price
$28.00
-
Original price
$28.00
Original price
$28.00
$28.00
-
$28.00
Black Obsidian 2x6mm Thin Rondelle - 15-16 Inch
Original price
$14.00
-
Original price
$14.00
Original price
$14.00
$14.00
-
$14.00
0
Original price
$14.00
-
Original price
$14.00
Original price
$14.00
$14.00
-
$14.00
Silver Obsidian 4mm Microfaceted Round - 15-16 Inch
Original price
$10.00
-
Original price
$10.00
Original price
$10.00
$10.00
-
$10.00
Essentially a volcanic glass, Obsidian ranges in color from opaque black, to green, brown, mahogany, black with rainbow colors, black with snowflak...
View full details
Original price
$10.00
-
Original price
$10.00
Original price
$10.00
$10.00
-
$10.00
Silver Obsidian 7x8mm Faceted Round Nugget - 15-16 Inch
Original price
$18.00
-
Original price
$18.00
Original price
$18.00
$18.00
-
$18.00
Essentially a volcanic glass, Obsidian ranges in color from opaque black, to green, brown, mahogany, black with rainbow colors, black with snowflak...
View full details
Original price
$18.00
-
Original price
$18.00
Original price
$18.00
$18.00
-
$18.00
Silver Obsidian 8mm Large Hole Round - 8 Inch
Original price
$18.00
-
Original price
$18.00
Original price
$18.00
$18.00
-
$18.00
Essentially a volcanic glass, Obsidian ranges in color from opaque black, to green, brown, mahogany, black with rainbow colors, black with snowflak...
View full details
Original price
$18.00
-
Original price
$18.00
Original price
$18.00
$18.00
-
$18.00
Black Obsidian 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Original price
$14.00
-
Original price
$14.00
Original price
$14.00
$14.00
-
$14.00
Original price
$14.00
-
Original price
$14.00
Original price
$14.00
$14.00
-
$14.00
Black Obsidian 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Original price
$9.00
-
Original price
$9.00
Original price
$9.00
$9.00
-
$9.00
Original price
$9.00
-
Original price
$9.00
Original price
$9.00
$9.00
-
$9.00
About this stone
Color
BlackBrownGreenMahoganyRainbowSnowflake
Origin
MexicoUSAIcelandJapanArmenia
Mohs hardness
5–5.5
Treatment categories
Natural
Industry-standard treatment
Natural — obsidian is volcanic glass and is not treated
Mineral chemistry
Volcanic glass, predominantly silica (rhyolitic composition)
Crystal system
Amorphous
Stone family
Volcanic glass
Common cuts
RoundFaceted RoundRondelle
Common sizes
4mm6mm8mm10mm
Care notes
Moderate hardness (Mohs 5–5.5) with conchoidal fracture — handle gently. Mild soap and soft cloth.
Related stones
Snowflake Obsidian, Rainbow Obsidian, Apache Tears, Tektite
Frequently asked questions
-
Is obsidian a crystal or glass?
Obsidian is volcanic glass — amorphous silica with no crystal structure. It forms when felsic lava cools so rapidly that crystals never have time to grow, leaving a dense, glossy, glass-like material. This is why obsidian polishes to a mirror-like luster and breaks with the characteristic curved (conchoidal) fracture that made it a prehistoric tool material. Mineralogically it sits in its own category — not a mineral by strict definition, but a naturally-occurring volcanic product. -
Where does obsidian come from?
Obsidian forms at volcanic deposits worldwide wherever silica-rich (felsic) lava cools too fast for crystallization. Mexico — particularly the Pachuca and Jalisco regions — is the dominant commercial source for the bead trade. Other significant deposits include the western United States (Oregon, California, Idaho, Arizona), Iceland, Italy, Armenia, Russia, Japan, and Indonesia. Origin should be disclosed where the supplier has disclosed it — ask before buying if a strand doesn't specify. -
What's the difference between obsidian and onyx?
They look similar polished but are different materials. Onyx is microcrystalline quartz (chalcedony family) at Mohs 6.5–7 — a banded variety of quartz, often dyed jet-black for the bead trade. Obsidian is amorphous volcanic glass at Mohs 5–5.5 — softer, more brittle, and showing conchoidal fracture rather than the granular break of onyx. In a finished piece, obsidian carries a slightly more reflective glassy luster; onyx reads as a denser opaque black. -
What are the sub-varieties of obsidian?
The named sub-varieties come from what happened inside the cooling glass. Black obsidian is the base form. Snowflake obsidian has white-to-gray cristobalite spherulites from slow devitrification. Mahogany obsidian has reddish-brown iron oxide banding. Rainbow obsidian shows iridescent color bands from light interference off nanoscale magnetite layers. Gold sheen and silver sheen obsidian show a metallic-looking shimmer from light reflecting off aligned gas bubbles or mineral inclusions. Each sub-variety is its own sub-collection in Dakota's catalog. -
How durable is obsidian for daily wear?
Obsidian is Mohs 5–5.5 — softer than quartz-family stones (agate, jasper, chalcedony) and softer than most beads it shares a strand with. It is also brittle and fractures conchoidally, so sharp impact can chip an edge or split a bead. For finished pieces, obsidian works well in earrings, pendants, and necklaces where impact is rare; in rings or heavy-wear bracelets it benefits from careful design and protective placement. Standard cleaning is soft cloth with mild soap — avoid ultrasonics and steam.