Rock Identifier

Rock & Mineral Encyclopedia

Search and identify 1,000+ rocks, minerals, crystals, and gemstones — with properties, formation, colors, hardness, and how to tell them apart.

Cloudy Obsidian

Obsidian with a hazy, cloud-like translucency caused by uneven distribution of tiny bubbles or incipient crystallites in the glass.

igneous

Frosted Obsidian

Natural obsidian with a frosted, matte surface produced by weathering, abrasion, or etching rather than a separate variety of glass.

igneous
Silver Sheen Obsidian

Silver Sheen Obsidian

Black volcanic glass displaying a silvery shimmer from light reflecting off aligned microscopic gas bubbles trapped in the obsidian.

crystal

Strawberry Obsidian

A pink-red glass sold as obsidian, sometimes with metallic flecks; the strawberry color is manufactured rather than a natural volcanic glass tone.

igneous

Gold Sheen Obsidian

A black obsidian displaying a golden metallic sheen caused by light reflecting off aligned microscopic gas bubbles or mineral inclusions.

igneous

Double Flow Obsidian

Obsidian formed from two merged lava flows, producing a stone with two distinct bands of sheen or color.

igneous

Electric Blue Obsidian

Obsidian with a vivid blue sheen or hue; natural blue obsidian is rare, and intensely uniform blue material is usually manufactured glass.

igneous

Bronze Sheen Obsidian

Black volcanic glass with a warm bronze or coppery sheen produced by light reflecting off aligned microscopic inclusions.

igneous
Golden Rainbow Obsidian

Golden Rainbow Obsidian

Black obsidian that displays a golden-to-rainbow iridescent sheen caused by aligned microscopic inclusions reflecting light.

igneous
Rainbow Velvet Obsidian

Rainbow Velvet Obsidian

A natural sheen obsidian whose black glass displays a soft, velvety rainbow shimmer from aligned magnetite nanoparticles when polished and tilted.

igneous

Midnight Lace Obsidian

A black volcanic glass threaded with delicate grey, swirling lace-like bands of flow lines that show beautifully when polished.

igneous

Silver Peacock Obsidian

A natural sheen obsidian combining a bright silver shimmer with iridescent peacock colors, all produced by nanoparticle layers in black glass.

igneous

Golden Peacock Obsidian

A natural sheen obsidian showing a warm gold shimmer plus peacock iridescence, caused by aligned nanoparticle layers within black glass.

igneous

Sesame Jasper

A finely speckled pale jasper trade stone named for its sesame-seed-like flecks, closely related to Kiwi Jasper.

mineral

Macusanite

A rare translucent yellow-green volcanic glass from the Macusani region of Peru, valued by faceters and sometimes confused with tektites.

igneous
Perlite

Perlite

A hydrated volcanic glass with pearly, onion-like concentric cracks that pops into lightweight white granules when heated.

igneous
Pitchstone

Pitchstone

A dull, resinous volcanic glass similar to obsidian but with higher water content and a waxy pitch-like luster.

igneous