![]() When the material gets thinner they weaken, sometimes fading into nothing at all. You want a high, strong dome to create the strongest colors. ⅜” to ½” is usually recommended, as opposed to the ⅛” to ¼” slabs that are common in the rock trade. This seems like common sense stuff, but I’ll let you in on a secret I only learned after destroying half of a fist-sized chunk of rainbow obsidian chasing colors: you need to reorient the stone in strong lighting between each slab.īecause of the nature of the optical effect, thicker slabs than normal are also a good idea. There’s plenty to play with if you’re a fan of optical effects, but it’s not the cheapest rough in the world. Parallel cuts will give you a full-color slab, while cuts made from angles will make the slab directional. ![]() Others claim 15° off-parallel is better, and I’ve even heard 12° at times. ![]() My personal opinion, for cabs, is that it’s easiest to just cut directly parallel to the bands. Once you have the band’s orientation figured out there are a couple of theories on how to proceed. These bands are your guide and they don’t appear from all angles, you’re trying to find the best viewing angle to know how to cut. The first thing you need to do with a new piece of rough is getting it wet and look at it in direct sunlight to find the angle where the banding is most visible. When working with rainbow obsidian there are a few things to keep in mind, especially since most of us are trying to preserve the flash as much as possible. You’d have to ask a local to be sure.Ī post shared by Stonewolf Adornments Some Tips for Working with Rainbow Obsidian I’m not too sure about rockhounding regulations in Mexico or access to rainbow obsidian in the area. It appears there is a single mine in this location, but it produces large amounts of rainbow obsidian. Jalisco, Mexicoįinally, if we go much, much further south there is the rainbow obsidian of Jalisco. If you didn’t and get caught, I’d advise leaving instead of arguing. The area around also has newer claims that have been laid, so it’s a matter of doing your due diligence. These claims were laid prior to 1969, evading the rockhounding area designation of Glass Buttes. While this is public land, you’ll have to be careful to respect the boundaries of any claims that have been laid in the area. This area hosts an incredible variety of obsidian, from plan black to mahogany to even limited amounts of rainbow obsidian. These are mountains made almost entirely of obsidian, in a remote area off of the 20. Glass Butte, Oregonįarther north, in Oregon, we find Glass Buttes. This is mainly to deter illegal mining, which would erode this natural resource and the forest it inhabits. The collection is also only permitted outside of winter since the terrain becomes forbidding and the Forest Service folks don’t want to drag collectors back down the mountain.įor that reason, any Davis Creek or Lassen Creek rainbow obsidian you see online is likely either old stock (awesome!) or being sold illegally (not so awesome). There are limits on the weight and size of what you can take, and it’s limited to only being collected for personal use. You can go to collect up to three times per year, but the permit needs to be purchased prior to heading out. These mines are the Lassen Creek Mine, and the Middle Fork Davis Creek Mine, which are two of the four mines found in the national forest. Modoc National Forest is the location of the two mines in the USA known to yield rainbow obsidian on a regular basis. There’s a bit of a catch, and it’s the reason the actual marketplace is dominated by the colorful material from Jalisco. The bulk of the material on the market is from the Mexican state of Jalisco, for reasons I’ll discuss below.įor those who want to find some of their own, you’re not out of luck! Particularly if you happen to live in the Pacific Northwest. Like all obsidian, where it forms there’s quite a bit of it so it’s not hard to find for purchase. Rainbow obsidian is still prized by knappers, but it’s also found its way into jewelry and just as display. In obsidian, you’ll generally see these colored effects referred to as a sheen. When held up to the light and turned, rainbows seem to “dance” just under the surface of the rock. Obsidian is generally less than 20 million years old. The material is brittle and weathers with exposure before being metamorphosed into other forms of silica. Obsidian is pretty unstable, at least on a geological time scale. Obsidian still sees some niche use in optical surgery, where specially manufactured obsidian scalpels are considered superior since they leave a cleaner edge. These edges are quite fragile, which is why copper, then bronze, and finally steel won out as tool materials despite the technology needed to make them.
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