Obsidian Rough Obsidian comes in many types. Rainbow and color sheens produce unusual cabochons and knapped items. The color is the result of light play in the flow layers of the volcanic glass. Although obsidian has a reputation of being difficult to polish, we have found that if the stone is ground through successively finer grits and the stone isn't heated too much during the polishing stage, that a high polish can be obtained with cerium oxide, or diamond. Mohs hardness 5 to 5.5. Starry Night Obsidian Rough - $5.50/pound Locality: Mexico Starry Obsidian has wonderful white to colored spots and patterns on a black background. The surface of Starry Night Obsidian is a little crackly, but it isn't that noticable because it takes a good polish. Cuts easily and polishes well with diamond. Note: the crackly nature of this material makes it unsuitable for knapping.
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