Obsidian Rings: What Are They and Why Should You Consider One

Patrick Adair Designs

What is obsidian? Not to be confused with the dark purple block found when water flows over lava in the game Minecraft, obsidian is a naturally occurring rock that is formed when lava extrudes from a volcano and cools rapidly. Unlike its dark purple color in Minecraft, obsidian in the real world has a deep black color to it and is often referred to as black obsidian.

Black obsidian was originally used to create weapons and tools such as spears and knives. Its highly reflective surface made it particularly attractive for countertops and mirrors back in the day. Obsidian is also used in jewelry but due to its special properties, it is susceptible to breaking and scratching. As a result, you will see obsidian most often used in pendants and earrings rather than rings.

WHAT IS OBSIDIAN?

Obsidian is a type of rock made from cooled magma. Instead of arriving on earth from outer space, it's generated out of the depths of the earth's core. As such, obsidian is essentially the opposite of meteorite where meteorite originates from a meteor from outer space that crashes down to the earth's surface.

This type of stone is known for its dark black color and natural shine. It's also referred to as natural glass due to its semi-transparent nature and high silica content. While not as strong as other materials used in jewelry, obsidian is beautiful.

Notably, obsidian can only form from magma that has reached the earth's surface. As such, it's seen as a transformative material with unique properties. These aspects make it a unique choice for jewelry, including rings.

OBSIDIAN JEWELRY

Jewelry can be made of a wide variety of materials, including obsidian. However, working with obsidian can be frustrating. It's a material that's very similar to glass, so shaping it into various forms requires skill. Consequently, black obsidian rings have a unique charm and pull not found with other types of jewelry. They're naturally luminous and can be set with nearly any type of precious stone or gem. Some obsidian rings feature glassy black exteriors but metal-lined interiors. Others are pure obsidian. Still, more are imbued with several types of metals, resins, or gems. Rarely will you see a pure black obsidian ring on the market due to its delicate nature.

Patrick Adair Designs does not offer a natural obsidian ring due to its fragility, but we do offer our own form of an obsidian ring through our Obsidian Series. The Obsidian Series is a collection of exotic rings made from materials from meteorite to superconductors to mokume gane. All of our rings as part of this collection feature a unique faceted finish on the exterior to make it look like a snowflake obsidian. These facets are are all deliberate and hand-finished to accentuate the uniqueness of the material. The facets allow for beautiful reflections and luster.

BENEFITS OF AN OBSIDIAN RING

There are quite a few reasons why you might choose one of our obsidian wedding rings over other options.

Natural Shine
One-Of-A-Kind Look
Exotic Material

Each one of our obsidian bands have sharp facets that reflect light like none other. These facets make the rings almost look like crystal rings. In sunlight, the reflection is the most apparent but even in a more muted setting, the natural shine of each ring is very noticeable.

On top of that, the facets on each obsidian band are unique and done by hand. No two obsidian rings will have the same pattern of facets making each ring completely unique and one-of-a-kind. There's nothing like knowing that no one else has the same wedding band as you.

Lastly, each ring as part of our Obsidian Series features an exotic and unique material that you'll have a hard time finding anywhere else. If you're looking to replicate a black obsidian ring, we highly recommend our Obsidian Meteorite Ring. If you're looking for something more colorful and flashy, consider an Obsidian Timascus Ring or Obsidian Mokume Gane Ring. With our Obsidian Series, you are guaranteed to find a ring that fits your lifestyle!