igneous

Apache Tear

Hydrated Obsidian (Volcanic Glass)

Hardness: 5 to 5.5 Mohs. Color: Deep black to translucent smoky brown when held to light. Luster: Vitreous/glassy. Crystal structure: Amorphous. Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture). Specific gravity: 2.35.

Hardness: 5 to 5
Color: Deep black to translucent smoky brown when held to light
Luster: Vitreous/glassy

Identified February 19, 2026More igneous →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed from the rapid cooling of silica-rich rhyolitic lava that enters water or cold air, preventing crystallization. Often found embedded in perlite matrix from the Tertiary or Quaternary periods.

Uses & applications

Commonly used in jewelry as pendants or tumbled stones. Highly valued in metaphysical collecting for its purported grounding and grief-healing properties.

Geological facts

Legend says the stones were formed from the tears of Apache women mourning warriors who leaped from a cliff to avoid capture by US Cavalry at Big Picket Post Mountain in Arizona.

Field identification & locations

Identify by holding to a strong light source; genuine Apache Tears will show transparency and a smoky amber hue despite appearing solid black. Found frequently in the American Southwest, particularly Arizona and New Mexico.

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Blue Apatite

Fluorapatite (Ca5(PO4)3F)

mineral

Dark Igneous Rock (Likely Basalt or Diabase)

Basalt (extrusive igneous rock) or Diabase (intrusive igneous rock - also known as Dolerite), largely composed of plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene (augite), and sometimes olivine and amphibole. Exact mineralogy would require thin section analysis.

Igneous