Obsidian comes in a staggering range of colors and shapes, it can be hard to keep up! Among all the different varieties, there’s one that stands out with a captivating appearance that’s reminiscent of a gold or silver shine underneath the surface of the stone thanks to inclusions of tiny gas bubbles in the stone.
What’s is this enchanting form of obsidian called?
What Is It?
The answer is Sheen Obsidian.
Coming in both gold and silver varieties, sheen obsidian has a distinctive effect that makes the surface look a bit more alive than other types of obsidian. The effect is a little similar to the chatoyancy found in Tiger’s Eye, although the cause is much different.
Sheen obsidian’s optical effect is created by the inclusion of gas bubbles in the stone. These microbubbles are aligned in a way that they create the illusion of gold or silver shine underneath the surface of the stone.
Sheen obsidian is among the rarer varieties of obsidian, but it’s readily available for collectors. Pieces range from appearing entirely in a metallic shade when viewed from the front to just small hints of activity under the surface from specific angles.
Sheen Obsidian is a strange one since the effect is essentially created by small pockets that don’t have obsidian in them. That said, it’s beautiful when cut properly and there’s a reason it’s remained a fast favorite among collectors.
