THE GEMSTONE LIBRARY
Midnight Lace Obsidian
Midnight Lace Obsidian is a descriptive trade name for patterned natural volcanic glass. This Soul Body Gems material is represented as coming from Armenia. When light passes through the polished pieces, translucent brown areas and fine dark lines create the lace-like effect.
How the lace pattern forms
Obsidian is volcanic glass formed when silica-rich lava cools rapidly enough that most of the melt does not crystallize. Bands and swirls in obsidian can record differences in texture and movement within the flowing magma. The alternating dark and translucent areas are especially visible when this material is polished and held to the light. The exact cause of the pattern in these particular pieces has not been analyzed.
Locality and identification
These pieces were supplied as Armenian Midnight Lace Obsidian. Armenia has multiple documented obsidian sources, and gem dealers also use this trade name for dark, translucent, lace-patterned Armenian material. “Midnight Lace” describes an appearance; it is not a separate mineral species or proof of a particular mine. We do not have an independent laboratory provenance report for this parcel.
Sources
- U.S. Geological Survey · Rock, Glass, and Flowbands — general formation of obsidian and flow patterns.
- Cherry, Faro, and Minc · Southern Armenian Obsidian Sources — geological documentation of Armenian obsidian flows.
- KenKen Gems · Armenian Midnight Lace Obsidian — example of the trade name used for Armenian material.