igneous
Apache Tear
Obsidian (Hydrated Volcanic Glass, SiO2)
Hardness: 5-5.5 (Mohs); Color: Black or deep smoky brown, translucent when held to light; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal Structure: Amorphous (non-crystalline); Fracture: Conchoidal; Specific Gravity: 2.3-2.6.
- Hardness
- 5-5
- Color
- Black or deep smoky brown, translucent when held to light
- Luster
- Vitreous (glassy)
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Physical properties
Hardness: 5-5.5 (Mohs); Color: Black or deep smoky brown, translucent when held to light; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal Structure: Amorphous (non-crystalline); Fracture: Conchoidal; Specific Gravity: 2.3-2.6.
Formation & geological history
Formed from the rapid cooling of silica-rich (rhyolitic) lava within perlite beds. The water-rich perlite shell protects the 'tear' from hydration and weathering, leaving a rounded, glassy core. Primarily Tertiary to Quaternary age (approx. 20 million years ago to present).
Uses & applications
Commonly used in jewelry (beads, pendants), lapidary art (tumbling and polishing), and metaphysical collections. Historically used by indigenous peoples for arrowheads and cutting tools.
Geological facts
According to legend, the stones were formed from the tears of Pinal Apache women mourning their husbands who jumped from a cliff to avoid capture by cavalry near Superior, Arizona (Apache Leap). They are naturally rounded pebbles found in white perlite deposits.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by looking for black nodules within white, crumbly volcanic ash or perlite. Unlike coal or shungite, they are translucent at the edges. Found extensively in the American Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada).
