Snowflake obsidian
The Obsidian Snowflake
Obsidian is an igneous rock that forms when the molten rock material cools so quickly that the atoms are unable to organize themselves into a crystal structure. It is an amorphous material known as a "mineraloid". The result is a volcanic glass with a smooth and uniform texture which breaks with a conchoidal fracture. Obsidian is found in meny places around the world. It is confined to areas of geologically recent volcanic activity. Obsidian more than a few million years old is rare because glassy rock is quickly destroyed or altered by weather, heat or other processes.Significant obsidian deposits are found in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand. Zealand, Peru, Russia, the United States and meny other places.
In the United States, it is not found east of the Mississippi River, as there is no geologically recent volcanic activity in this country. In the western United States, it is found in meny places in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. Most obsidians used in the jewelry trade are produced in the United States.
