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Black obsidian meaning and properties

Black obsidian is the mirror stone in the traditions: a volcanic glass in which people have sought visions.

  • Mirror
  • Protection
  • Lucidity
The essentials

Black obsidian at a glance

For you, a stone to look at head-on as a reminder to see clearly within yourself, even in what you would rather avoid.

A question to ask yourself

What would you like to dare to face right now?

Something to watch

Broken, it cuts like glass: keep fragments away from young children.

Color
black
Associated intentions
protection, grounding
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What it evokes

Modern crystal practice makes it a stone of protection and grounding: it is credited with the role of a symbolic shield and of a mirror that would reflect back what you hide.

This image is not new. In ancient Mexico, polished obsidian served as a mirror, and the god Tezcatlipoca, whose images were carved from this stone, bears a name Kunz translates as “shining mirror.” One of these mirrors is said to have been used by the English scholar John Dee for his scrying sessions, in the 16th century.

Obsidian is not a crystal, however: it is a natural glass, born of lava cooled too fast to crystallize. Its blackness and polish are enough to explain why people have always looked at it as a surface in which to look for something.

The traditions

  1. Rome, 1st century

    Pliny links the name of obsidian to Obsidius, who is said to have discovered it in Ethiopia. He describes it as very black, with a dull transparency: set on a wall as a mirror, it would give back “shadow rather than image.” He says he saw statues of Augustus and four elephants carved from this stone.

    Pliny the Elder, Natural History, XXXVI, 67 (Littré translation)
  2. Ancient Mexico

    The Mexicans carved images of the god Tezcatlipoca from obsidian, whose name Kunz translates as “shining mirror.” Mirrors of this stone are said to have been used for divination; Kunz reproduces one, from Oaxaca, then held in the Trocadéro museum in Paris.

    G. F. Kunz, The Curious Lore of Precious Stones (1913)
  3. England, 16th century

    A polished obsidian plate from Mexico belonged, according to the label written by Horace Walpole, to John Dee, a 16th-century English scholar: it was, says the catalog cited by Kunz, the black stone in which he called his spirits.

    G. F. Kunz, The Curious Lore of Precious Stones (1913)

A gestureSet it on a table or hold it in your hand for a moment of looking inward, rather than wearing it as an everyday jewel.

No stone has a proven effect on health: if you have a health concern, see a health professional.

Its profile

Type
Volcanic glass (not a crystallized mineral)
Family
Natural glass
Composition
silica-rich glass (SiO2, 70% or more)
Mohs hardness
5–6 out of 10
Colors
black
Origins
volcanic regions: Mexico, Armenia, Iceland, Italy (Aeolian Islands), United States
Common imitations
molded black glass

Caring for it without damaging it

  • WaterYesA quick rinse in warm soapy water, then drying, does not damage it.
  • SaltYesMohs hardness 5–6: harder than salt (2.5), it can handle brief contact; rinse afterward.
  • SunYesNo known fading in daylight.
  • HeatAvoidA sudden change in temperature can crack it: no direct heat source.
  • Scratches and knocksFragileIt breaks like glass, into very sharp shards.

Cleansing and charging without damage
Cleansing a crystal: the reported methods
Charging a crystal: moon, flower of life

Precautions

  • A broken piece has edges as sharp as glass: handle it with care, out of reach of young children.

The real dangers of crystals

Nuances and sources

Modern books often link it to Scorpio or Capricorn and to the root chakra; some call it too “strong” for daily use. None of this rests on an ancient text: it is a reading from the late 20th century.

Black obsidian: your questions

Is black obsidian dangerous?

The only real danger is physical: it is a glass, and a broken piece has edges as sharp as a bottle shard, to the point that it was made into blades for millennia. Warnings about an “overpowering” energy are a matter of belief: no risk of that kind has been shown. Store it separately and keep fragments away from children.

How can you tell real obsidian?

Natural obsidian is light, fairly cool to the touch, and often shows fine inclusions or sheens depending on the light. Molded black glass, very common in cheap jewelry, is perfectly uniform and may keep round bubbles. The sheens of “rainbow” and “gold sheen” obsidians come from tiny inclusions in the glass.

Can you leave it in the sun or in water?

Yes: lukewarm water and daylight do not harm it. The real risk is impact, since its hardness, 5 to 6, is that of ordinary glass: a knock on a tile floor is enough to chip it. Also avoid sudden temperature swings, which can crack any glass.

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