6" Realistic, Polished Obsidian Skull - Mexico

This is a 6" long, realistic looking polished obsidian skull. This black obsidian was collected in Mexico and has been meticulously worked into this unique stone skull. The underside of the skull and the nostrils have been hollowed-out, making the specimen closer in resemblance to a real skull.

Obsidian is a natural volcanic "glass" that is formed when molten rock cools so quickly that the atoms don't have enough time to arrange themselves into crystals. To form obsidian, the composition of the lava must be high in silica. Depending on the minerals present within this lava along with the cooling rate, a variety of colorful bands, spots, or swirls can appear once the lava has solidified. Pure obsidian is often a solid black color, but impurities can result in small color variations throughout.

Obsidian was an important material for many ancient people. It was used for making tools, weapons, jewelry, and decorative items. It was a major barter material for Native Americans. Its conchoidal fracturing creates extremely sharp edges when it is broken, which made it ideal for making knives, scrapers, arrowheads, and spearpoints. It is even occasionally used today to produce surgical scalpels, since the edges can be several times sharper (only 3 nanometers wide) than blades produced from steel.
SOLD
DETAILS
SPECIES
Obsidian (Volcanic Glass)
LOCATION
Mexico
SIZE
6 x 5 x 4.1"
CATEGORY
ITEM
#199591