Definition
Origin
Discoverer
Etymology
Class
Sub-Class
Group
Other Categories
Texture
Color
Maintenance
Durability
Water Resistant
Scratch Resistant
Stain Resistant
Wind Resistant
Acid Resistant
Appearance
Interior Uses
Exterior Uses
Other Architectural Uses
Construction Industry
Medical Industry
Antiquity Uses
Commercial Uses
Types
Features
Monuments
Famous Monuments
Sculpture
Famous Sculptures
Pictographs
Petroglyphs
Figurines
Fossils
Formation
Mineral Content
Compound Content
Metamorphism
Types of Metamorphism
Weathering
Types of Weathering
Erosion
Types of Erosion
Hardness
Grain Size
Fracture
Streak
Porosity
Luster
Compressive Strength
Cleavage
Toughness
Specific Gravity
Transparency
Density
Specific Heat Capacity
Resistance
Asia
Africa
Europe
Others
North America
South America
Australia
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin
From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Gold and Silver production, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Skarn is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite
Au, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Cu, Fe, MgO
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka
South Africa, Western Africa
Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay
Central Australia, Western Australia