Snowflake Obsidian

Hardness: 5-6 (Mohs), Color: Black with white or gray patches, Luster: Vitreous/Glassy, Structure: Amorphous (non-crystalline), Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture), SG: 2.3-2.6

Forms when silica-rich lava cools rapidly, preventing crystal growth. The 'snowflakes' are inclusions of the mineral cristobalite that formed as the glass began to devitrify. Found in volcanic areas throughout the Cenozoic and Quaternary periods.

Used primarily in jewelry (cabochons, beads), decorative carvings, and as a popular stone for mineral collectors and metaphysical practitioners.

Unlike typical minerals, obsidian is a 'mineraloid' because it lacks a crystalline structure. The white spots represent the transformation of the glass back into a mineral, a process called devitrification.

Identified by its distinctive white 'snowflake' patches against a dark black glassy base. It is commonly found in areas of recent volcanic activity such as the Western United States (Utah, Oregon), Mexico, and Iceland.