Obsidian

[papa]

Just curious,is there a market for obsidian ?

 

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[TreasureTales]

It largely depends on the quality of the material. Some material is purchased by knappers for making knives, arrowheads, etc. Some material is purchased by rock shops to sell to rockhounds. Apache tears (small, round translucent obsidian pieces found in vermiculite) are sought by lapidaries and collectors alike. There are varieties of obsidian that have sheens (when a new fracture is created they appear to have a reflective quality) of various colors: gold, silver, purple, rainbow and others. There are various colors of obsidian: black, white, mahogany, rainbow, and a combination of two or more of these colors. There is also snowflake obsidian which appears to have "snowflakes" imbedded in the black matrix.

One of the most important factors is the quality of the glass itself. If the material is grainy or shot with holes (bubbles) then it is of low quality and not many people want it except as a specimen to compare to other types.

Each winter in Quartzite, Arizona wholesale and retail rock, gem, and mineral sellers gather to sell to the snowbirds that flock there. It is world famous for its rock/gem/mineral sales and the nearby rock/gem/mineral shows. I'm sure they sell a ton of it there throughout the winter.

So there is a market for obsidian. That market, however, is based on the color and/or sheen, the quality, and the quantity. Most lapidaries and collectors aren't interested in a little tiny piece. They want something they can cut and polish and set as jewelry, make into bookends, or knap. Apache tears would be the exception because they like to tumble them and then make earrings, bracelets, and necklaces with them.

Hope this helped you. HH

 

[papa]

HH,Yes,that helps me out a whole lot. This is the first obsidian rock I have found.Well,more like fell over. So far all the rock is black,some a dull black,some have a sheen. Went back today,before the rain set in.This time I found some several inches thick,and about 8 -10 inches in diameter. I'll know more after I get them cleaned up.
Thanks for the information,any and all is appreacated. Don't know what I'll do with them yet.

 

[Eu_citzen]

There is a market for alsmost everything, depending on quality, amount etc.

 

[Cannonman17]

Send some to me and I'll knapp some arrowheads for ya.

 

[EDDE]

poopa there is a high end artsie fartsie store here in town selling large peices(like bowling ball sized and larger) for 100's of bucks

 

[Calworks]

Believe it or not there is a market...the medical industry. Obsidian is so sharp, sharper than the finest surgical blade and finer that it is being used in eye surgery and heart surgery. Now you know why the native American's used obsidian, cuts better than a knife

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsidian

 

[TreasureTales]

Believe it or not there is a market...the medical industry. Obsidian is so sharp, sharper than the finest surgical blade and finer that it is being used in eye surgery and heart surgery. Now you know why the native American's used obsidian, cuts better than a knife

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsidian

The use of obsidian in the medical field has been somewhat overstated, IMO, in Wikipedia. There was a surgeon who created obisidian tools for surgery, but if I recall correctly his tools were for demonstration purposes for the most part. The same surgeon also made the tools for his own impending surgury, so that his incisions would heal faster. The smoother the incision, the faster it heals. In any case, obsidian has a market but the quality of the material must be high.

 

[Calworks]

So must the quality of steel. So quality is a must no matter what the material wouldn't you agree

 

[TreasureTales]

So must the quality of steel. So quality is a must no matter what the material wouldn't you agree

Yes I agree. However, we're specifically talking about obsidian here, and more specifically about the market for obsidian. I doubt there are many surgeons or medical supply companies that are buying obsidian for medical purposes. The vast majority of the purchases of obsidian are for decorative or jewelry purposes. Even so, quality is a prime consideration for those purchases.

 

[papa]

Thanks Guys, The more I learn about this,the more I get into it.So far what I have found is on the small size,about the size of a pack of cigarettes.The color is a rich,dark,black.No bubbles,after they are cleaned up they look like they have been waxed.In the same area I have found some white quartz rocks.Some of those are huge.Due to health and the weather I haven't got back for more.You can bet I will,first chance I get.