Lavender Obsidian
Volcanic glass (SiO2-based)
A soft lavender-purple glass sold as obsidian; uniform lavender material is essentially always manufactured glass, not natural volcanic obsidian.
- Mohs hardness
- 5-6
- Color
- Soft lavender to pale purple, translucent
- Type
- igneous
Got a rock like this?
Identify any rock from a photo, free.
Overview
Lavender Obsidian is a trade name for soft lavender or pale purple translucent glass sold as obsidian. As with lilac and violet "obsidian," a clean, uniform lavender tone signals manufactured glass; natural volcanic obsidian does not occur in pastel purples.
Natural obsidian gets its color from iron and from optical sheen, producing blacks, browns, grays, and metallic flashes rather than a translucent lavender body color. The purple here comes from colorants such as manganese added during glassmaking.
It is sold for its calming color in beads, spheres, and tumbled stones, and is best understood and described as decorative glass unless a natural origin is documented.
Formation & geology
True obsidian forms when silica-rich lava cools too quickly to crystallize, freezing into iron-tinted glass; pastel purple is not part of its natural palette.
Lavender glass is manufactured by melting silica with fluxes and adding small amounts of purple colorant (typically manganese), then cooling. The light tone reflects a low colorant level.
Thus "lavender obsidian" generally lacks a natural volcanic locality and is an artisanal or industrial glass product.
How to identify it
Be skeptical of evenly colored lavender "obsidian." Manufactured glass shows uniform color, rounded internal bubbles, swirl or pour marks, and sometimes mold seams.
Natural obsidian is dark-bodied; any purple appears only as a directional sheen, never as a transparent pastel. Both share vitreous luster, conchoidal fracture, hardness near 5-6, and white streak, so the soft uniform purple plus bubbles are decisive.
A clear, consistently lavender piece with internal bubbles is almost certainly man-made glass.
Uses & significance
Lavender Obsidian (glass) is used for soft-colored beads, pendants, spheres, and carvings, valued as an inexpensive and attractive decorative material.
It has no industrial use beyond ordinary colored glass.
Metaphysical sellers may tie the gentle purple to calm, intuition, and spiritual themes, but as a typically manufactured glass these are marketing associations; disclosing the glass origin is the honest practice.
Frequently asked questions
Is lavender obsidian natural?
No. Uniform lavender "obsidian" is manufactured glass; natural obsidian does not form in pale purple colors.
Is lavender obsidian the same as lilac obsidian?
They are essentially the same kind of pale-purple manufactured glass sold under slightly different trade names.
How do I confirm it is glass?
Look for even pastel color, internal bubbles, swirl or pour marks, and mold seams, all signs of manufactured glass.
Can I still wear it?
Yes, as a soft-colored decorative glass, provided it is sold honestly as glass rather than a natural gemstone.
Lavender Obsidian guides
In-depth guides for identifying, valuing, and understanding Lavender Obsidian.
