Obsidian (Snowflake)

Snowflake obsidian is quite striking in appearance. It is characterised by the inclusion of radially clustered crystals of cristobalite, which when viewed at a glance, appear like snowflakes on the surface of the rock. These crystal clusters are set in an otherwise black vitreous matrix of obsidian, which is an naturally occurring volcanic glass, even exhibiting a conchoidal fracture. Cristobalite is a high temperature polymorph of silica, it can form as a result of the devitrification of the obsidian. These specimens come from Anatolia, Turkey and are supplied in card trays, sizes which are optional, each tray also has a small data label supplied.