Snowflake obsidian is a beautiful volcanic glass that is often used in jewelry and decorative items. But is snowflake obsidian actually a true crystal? The answer lies in understanding the difference between crystalline solids like quartz and amorphous solids like obsidian.
Crystals have a highly ordered internal structure. The atoms or molecules are arranged in a repeating three-dimensional pattern that extends in all directions. This gives crystals their characteristic smooth, faceted external shape defined by flat crystal faces. Quartz, diamonds, and salt are examples of crystalline solids.
Obsidian, on the other hand, is an amorphous solid. It lacks the well-defined internal order of a crystal. The atoms or molecules are randomly arranged without a repeating pattern. This gives obsidian an irregular external shape without flat crystal faces. Window glass is another common amorphous solid.
Obsidian begins as lava from a volcano. As the lava cools rapidly on the surface, the atoms don't have time to arrange themselves into an orderly crystal structure. The lava solidifies in a disordered, random structure characteristic of amorphous solids. This is the process that formed all obsidian around the world.
Snowflake obsidian is a variety of obsidian characterized by white, snowflake-like patterns across its dark glassy surface. It formed when small crystals grew within the rapidly cooling lava. These microscopic crystal inclusions resulted in the unique snowflake pattern when exposed by the conchoidal fracturing of obsidian.
Despite its name, the white spots in snowflake obsidian are not true crystals. They are crystallites – tiny, imperfectly formed crystalline regions surrounded by amorphous obsidian glass. Snowflake obsidian does not have the perfect atomic order or external crystal shape indicative of true crystals. It remains an amorphous volcanic glass.
The misleading name of snowflake obsidian can cause confusion about its true amorphous nature. But while beautiful, snowflake obsidian is categorically not a crystalline solid. The atomic structure is disordered and random like window glass or regular obsidian. The white snowflake inclusions are isolated crystallites rather than part of an interconnected crystal lattice. So while the white patterns resemble snowflakes, snowflake obsidian is an amorphous glass, not a true crystal.
