Opalite IS Simply Glass (Not a Gemstone) and is NOT "Opal Glass," and Comments I Receive via Blogger

OPALITE

Opalite Glass

Today I've heard a couple of times (via the blogger "contact" form) from someone responding to my "Opalite is Just Glass and Not a Gemstone" post, who insists that Opalite "isn't just glass" because it's made with minerals which give it a glow.  I'm not going to publish the comments and I can't respond to their email (since their settings are set to "noreply-comment@blogger.com" as their email, it goes back to me!), so I'm going to respond right here in this separate post.  Hopefully this is a little bit informative for this person, and for anyone who might read this and wonder, "If glass is made from minerals, why isn't it a gemstone?"  But basically, this person today has confused Opalite (which is a man-made glass made in China for the jewelry industry as a simulated Opal or Moonstone) with "Opal Glass" which is a "thermally opalizable glass" used in manufacturing (jars, etc.) and who referred me to this patent from 1970.
This patent information is about Opal Glass---used in things like Corningware and cosmetics jars.  This has NOTHING to do with Opalite, used in jewelry.  I can see how this could be confusing, especially when unscrupulous sellers try to hawk this opalite glass as "opal glass" or "opal moonstone" and other misnomers.  I assume this person googled "opal glass" and found their way to my blog as well as that patent info.  So since this is confusing for some people, here is a little more VERY basic info about glass in general, and Opal Glass in particular: 

First: WHAT IS GLASS?

Ancient Roman Glass--Clear when Made

Glass (man-made) is made from melting minerals together at a very high temperature.  These minerals are silica (silicon dioxide), limestone (calcium carbonate), and soda ash (sodium carbonate), melted at 1700 degrees C. Glass is amorphic---meaning it has no crystalline structure.  The chemical structure of glass is SiO2  There are many other types of glass such as "crystal" or leaded glass (which adds lead oxide),  borosilicate glass which is made with boron trioxide which makes it very sturdy and is used as test tubes and sold as Pyrex for baking, for example, "Vaseline glass", plus many other types of art glass and so forth.

HOW IS COLORED GLASS MADE?

There are 3 different ways to make colored glass. Adding different minerals/metal salts to the basic glass recipe results in colors of glass.  Iron or Chromium is added for green glass; Cobalt for blue glass; Gold, Copper and Tin may be added to make red glass; and so forth.  HERE is a great website that explains this in detail along with a great chart at the top of the page.  Some glass is colored by suspended particles (colloidal) of minerals in the glass.  "Goldstone" and "Blue Goldstone" are great examples of glass with suspended minerals.

HOW ABOUT "MILK GLASS"?

Vintage "Opal" or Milk Glass Steins

This is a type of art glass made in the 19th Century and was known as "Opal Glass", then later called "Milk Glass".  It is a milky white opaque to translucent glass, but can also be found in assorted colors, formed in vases and cups and decorative objects.  It was made with different recipes---sometimes using a little arsenic, sometimes tin oxide, and usually fluorite.  This means that this glass will become fluorescent under a black light.  It's a collectible vintage glass now.

WHAT ABOUT THIS PATENTED "OPAL GLASS"?
There is a patented method of making "opal glass" from 1972 that describes how "opalescent glass" is manufactured for "thermally opalizable glass".  This is glass used in oven ware (low expansion, heat-resistant).  As it says in the patent info, opal glasses are "widely used in the fields of science, industry and commerce in the form of containers for...cosmetic creams, deodorant containers, lighting globes..." etc. The patent goes on to describe the chemistry of this oven-safe glass.

This has absolutely NOTHING to do with Opalite--a glass made in China specifically for the jewelry industry.
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 Knowledge of basic science will tell you that everything that is not growing or living (such as plants, animals) is a mineral, or made from minerals. "If it can't be grown, it must be mined."  Even living things (including people) are made of minerals.
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The most-read post in my blog has been regarding Opalite glass.  This is a man-made glass and is often sold to consumers as a gemstone, with sellers calling it "Sea Opal" and "Opal Moonstone" and even just "Moonstone" when in fact it is NOT a gem, but is simply glass!  Glass which has no crystal structure, despite being made from minerals, is simply GLASS and therefore not a gemstone.  "Fused Glass" is often sold as Quartz when in fact it is also just glass (which I've written about several times as well).  I wrote about Opalite glass more than once, and have posted pictures of Opalite glass and Moonstones and Rainbow Moonstones, and have answered literally hundreds of questions about this Opalite-as-gemstone scam.  And it IS a scam when someone claims it is a "gemstone"!  I get a lot of questions asking if something is a real gemstone (and I enjoy getting questions and always try to help).  Sometimes I'll hear from someone who is trying to correct me on something---that's great!  I've updated many of my posts when I get solid information to add.  I'm here to learn too!

Anyway, whoever "Me" is who wrote to me regarding this patent and argued that "opalite" isn't "just" glass because it's made with minerals----thank you for taking the time to send me emails.  I hope you find this information helpful and informative. If  you have further questions regarding glass in general or Opalite glass in particular, please provide your email address so I can respond. 

"Andara Crystal" - SCAM Alert

There are no more "mystical" properties in a chunk of this "Andara Crystal" glass than in a vase on your table, or your car's windshield, your wine glass, or a piece of a broken beer bottle.

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"Bag O'Glass" for $98 sold as Andaran Crystals

This is really sad to read---so many gullible people are being taken advantage of, so I feel compelled to write this.  BEWARE OF "ANDARA CRYSTAL"!

I wrote about pieces of glass being sold as "Obsidian" a few months ago.  Obsidian is natural Volcanic Glass and the colors of natural Obsidian are black, brown, grey, mohogany brown, spotted, and "sheen" varieties.  You can see my blog post HERE.  People are selling chunks of regular man-made glass as "obsidian"----in colors such as red, blue, purple, yellow, green----which aren't colors of actual Obsidian. 

Someone read my Obsidian post and wrote a note to me regarding a very big scam going around involving something being marketed as "Andara Crystal."  My search on Etsy showed 462 results.  My search on Ebay showed 449 results.  The first result on Etsy shows a wire wrapped piece of blue broken glass (an "Andara Crystal") nonsensically described as "... a conduit of the pure 'Blue Ray,'...emanating from the core of the universe, it's [sic] vibration is the holographic stream of the now, limitless as we are" which is on hold for someone---for $198!  RIDICULOUS, weird, and very sad that someone is charging nearly $200 for a wire wrapped piece of regular broken glass--and someone bought it!

WHAT ARE THE CLAIMS ABOUT "ANDARA CRYSTAL"?

Piece of broken glass for about $450!

There are SO many different descriptions of this "Andara Crystal", most of which are completely absurd and poorly written nonsense!  One website claims that the "gifts" brought by "Andara Crystals include:expanding awareness, universal knowledge, channeling ability, spiritual development, bridging ethereal and physical dimensions, raising energy frequencies, clearing the heart chakra," and many more.  And of course this website is selling different colors of "Andara Crystal" glass pieces, and each color possesses different properties!

Another website tells their "story of Andara Crystals" (emphasis mine):

"The Andara crystal is a very special gift from God that holds the energy of unconditional love ... is very rare ... comes from Native American Indian land... I knew there was something magical about this stone the first time I experienced it. I was given the message to have it cut into the sacred geometric shape of the earth. This is known as Metatron’s Cube*..."

*This chunk of glass was cut like a regular 6-sided cube.  Metatron's Cube is actually a dodecahedron seen HERE. I honestly thought they meant "Megatron" when I first read it--makes more sense! LOL!

3" shard of broken glass, $85

Another website tells you how to separate "fake Andara Crystals" from "genuine" ones! Again, emphasis is mine:

"The Andaras ... exist in only in two places; one is in the Sierras on Nellie's property*, the other is in a small sector in South Africa, which are not available as of yet because they are on a high profile diamond mine property with very high security.**

What distinguishes true Andaras from obsidian imitations is that there is always Etherium (prima Matra) present in genuine Andara Crystals. Etherium*** is a very rare combination of over 70 minerals ... The only available source of Etherium in the world is found on Nellie's land where the Andaras are present... True Andaras work with your DNA..."

 *I assumed that this seller lives on "Nellie's land" in the Sierras. But another site states: "Nellie, a half-Choctaw Indian, Medicine Woman and Shaman..." (Never mind that the Choctaw Nation is nowhere near the Sierras.)
**If it's a high-security diamond mine in South Africa, how does this person even KNOW that these "cystals" exist there?  
***Etherium is a completely made-up term.

Lilac "Monatomic" -- NO, it's glass

A TINY 1.5" x 2" piece of lavender or lilac colored glass (sold for about $95!)  is pictured left, and described as follows:

"Andara crystal is a glass-like transmuted mineral complex from this naturally occurring mineral deposit high in monatomic minerals. This natural glass-like mineral complex exhibits extraordinary metaphysical properties."

This is NOT glass-like or a mineral---it is 100% GLASS.  Also, "monatomic" is defined as: "elements that are present in the gaseous state as single atoms. These elements are the noble gasses: He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe and Rn."  Per a chemistry dictionary.

There are more websites that talk about "third hole dimensions" and "Alpha and Omega ancient days" and a "black hole frozen in space-time" and that these crystals are created where "a hyperfield forms a 'no-time' zone, where linear laws of thermodynamics are warped..." and other incredibly ludicrous and inane descriptions of this "Andara Crystal" and its "magical" properties. Word salad!!

$418 for this chunk of broken glass

WHAT ACTUALLY IS ANDARA CRYSTAL?

Shard of clear broken glass

Very simple:  it's a chunk of GLASS.  Man-made glass.  Just plain old everyday GLASS.  As one person on Mindat.org says: "As an experienced glassblower, I can tell you its just cullet glass."  Cullet glass is furnace-ready recycled glass.  There are no crystal structures at all in glass!  No minerals in glass!  There are no more "mystical" properties in a chunk of this "Andara" glass than in a vase on your table, or your car's windshield, your wine glass, or a piece of a broken beer bottle.  Slag is a type of glass that is left over from manufacturing processes---and is being sold as "Andara Crystal" in various colors.  Also, big hunks of broken glass are being sold on Ebay and Etsy for PREMIUM prices because the sellers are claiming this plain ol' glass possesses mystical and magical properties.

If you go to ebay or to etsy and search "Andara crystal" you will see pages and pages of broken shards of glass being sold for LOTS of money by unscrupulous sellers preying on vulnerable buyers. Or click HERE for a google image search of broken glass shards, being shilled as "Andara Crystals". 

HERE is a discussion of this scam on mindat.org, which is a reputable mineralogy website.

This is a very sad case of sellers taking advantage of vulnerable people!!

PLEASE----this is a total SCAM.  Buyers PLEASE beware!!

"Silverite" Update---Is It Sillimanite? One Seller Says So!

White "Silverite" - Sillimanite?

I have written about a gemstone that is almost exclusively sold on Etsy, called "Silverite".  Sellers in India say it's a natural gemstone, and until now, that's all they would say.  I asked some wholesalers about "Silverite" and never got a really straight answer, other than to tell me what it's NOT----I heard it's "definitely NOT sapphire" and "definitely NOT coated".  Yet jewelry designers on Etsy (and elsewhere online) have described it as "coated sapphire", "opalescent quartz", and just a lot of other descriptions that they must have made up, since the actual wholesalers state otherwise.

Anyway, I bought some of this silverite over the past year and had it tested, and every piece that I had tested (from different sellers) turned out to be just glass.  One strand of silverite that I had tested was "coated glass", with some sort of mystic coating on it.

Silverite - Could Be Sillimanite

Tonight I heard from someone who pointed me to a new seller on Etsy who has Silverite.  This person told me that silverite is actually a trade name for "Sillimanite", which is a natural gemstone.  I looked at the listings, and YES, this seller states in the description that this is actually "natural Sillimanite".  HERE is a link to one of their listings.  As of March of 2017, the term "silverite" is not a registered trade name, and no gemologists have even heard of it (except for the ones I contacted about it---they heard of it from me) and it's not written about anywhere--not on mineral websites, the GIA, gemstone forums, nowhere.  The term "silverite" was registered at one point for a coating method, but it's a "dead" trademark and it had nothing to do with a gemstone name anyway. 

I haven't bought any of this new seller's silverite yet, and so I haven't had it tested, so I can't say for sure that this is a natural gemstone.  However, it's interesting to see a wholesaler offering silverite and describing it as Sillimanite.

I hope this is the case!  This seller seems reputable and has other nice gemstones, so hopefully this actually IS a gemstone (Sillimanite)!

Sillimanite is a gem that is closely related to Kyanite and Andalusite.  It's a hard gemstone, and a large amount of Sillimanite has been recently mined in India.  It's considered a collector's gem, and can be quite expensive.  Sometimes, sillimanite is dyed to look like precious rubies, emeralds and sapphires.  HERE is some good info regarding sillimanite.

And once again----no matter what "silverite" is, it is definitely NOT a sapphire, or corrundum; it is not a coated quartz; it is not a pearlescent coated opal, or any other type of precious gemstone.

If I get some of this Silverite, I will test it and let you know!

Moonstone v. Rainbow Moonstone---Same or Different Gemstone?

Moonstone

Moonstone is a very popular gemstone.  Rainbow Moonstone is also extremely popular, but are they the same gem?  How are they different?  Is Rainbow Moonstone just a variety of Moonstone? What about other colors of Moonstone, like peach, pink, or grey?   It's very confusing, even for jewelers and mineral collectors. Here's some information I've gathered about these gemstones---I hope this is helpful!



MOONSTONE
The minerals of the Feldspar group are the most widespread minerals around the world and make up 60% of the earth's crust. Basically, long story short, feldspars are a beautiful and complex gem family that includes Moonstone, Labradorite, Sunstone, Sanidine, and others. Moonstone is a variety of the feldspar group mineral orthoclase and is actually made of two minerals, orthoclase and albite. During formation, orthoclase and albite separate into two stacked, alternating layers. When light falls between these thin layers, it is scattered into many directions, producing the phenomenon called "adularescence." Adularescence is the light that appears to move across a gem, giving it a glowing appearance.  This glowing light moves as you move the gem.   This glowing feature can be a bright or subtle blue (deep or pale), white, grey, or even a "catseye" appearance:

Moonstone with "Catseye"

Moonstones are found in an array of colors---peach, orange, yellow, green, grey, black, blue---some with a white adularescence (like the moon) or with blue adularescence (like moonlight on water). Here is a screenshot of a chart showing the different colors of Moonstone---please visit HERE to see the original chart, and the pictures of each gem can be enlarged, plus more information on Moonstone:

As the chart shows, there's a wide array of each of the colors of orthoclase Moonstone.  Here is another example of some of the colors of moonstones which exhibit a very slight glow that to me looks a little like mother-of-pearl:

Colors of Moonstone

Other feldspar minerals can also show adularescence, especially Labradorite, which is found in Labrador, Canada.  Another form of Labradorite that is found in Madagascar is called Rainbow Moonstone.

RAINBOW MOONSTONE

Rainbow Moonstones

This gem has a multicolored adularescence over a light or transparent body color.  It can also have a singular deep blue adularescence.    It’s known with the trade name "Rrainbow Moonstone", despite the fact that it’s actually a variety of labradorite rather than orthoclase.  So a "Rainbow Moonstone" feldspar gem is closely related to Moonstone which is also a feldspar gem, but is of a different species of Feldspar.  Some Rainbow Moonstones look identical to a Moonstone and would need to be tested to tell the difference:

Rainbow Moonstone

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However, per the GIA:   "To be called moonstone, a mineral’s actual identity is not as important as the beauty of its adularescence."
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METAPHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Many people enjoy wearing gemstones for their metaphysical properties, or the lore behind the gem.  I'm a believer of the power of the mind!  Here are some beliefs regarding the powers of these gemstones:

MOONSTONE: a stone of intuition and insight; helps balance emotions and relieves stress and increases patience; attracts good luck and good fortune; allows one to see into the future. Ancient cultures believed that if you hold a moonstone in your mouth during a full moon, you can see into the future.

RAINBOW MOONSTONE: a magical stone with powerful protective properties and deflects negativity; helps its wearer find their true path in life; a stone of intuition and insight; balances emotions and increases patience; increases creativity; clears the mind and senses to allow for calm sleep; helps bring out psychic abilities.

SUMMARY
Moonstones and Rainbow Moonstones are closely related gemstones, but are not identical.  The information I trust the most and included here comes from the Gemological Institute of America.   Different information can be found on other websites, including Mindat.org, which has the world's largest database of mineral information and is updated daily.  On the Mindat website, there is information about exactly what IS a Moonstone, since the term "moonstone" is a generic term.  Even the discussions in the forums, with gem experts, find the classification of "moonstone" and "rainbow moonstone" to be confusing!

So, technically, a Rainbow Moonstone is really a transparent Labradorite feldspar mineral. Its chemistry is Sodium Calcium Aluminum Silicate.  Moonstone looks similar but is an Orthoclase/Albite feldspar mineral. Its chemistry is Potassium Sodium Aluminum Silicate.

They are both genuine gemstones that look very similar, and both are beautiful.  To ME, the Rainbow Moonstone with its more intense color display is far more beautiful, but that's just my opinion.

Coins (Currency) Used in Jewelry: Illegal to Stamp/Deface?

Ring made from 1912 U.S. Half Dollar

I just saw someone ask a question on Etsy's forum about stamping words or letters onto U.S. pennies. She said her father told her it was illegal to deface coins, so she asked others if they knew if it was in fact illegal.  So there were several answers, and several opinions: some think it's "illegal", some think it's fine, and someone actually told her to check with a judge!?  But some had the right idea:  check with the U.S. Mint website!
Here's what it says:

1. Is it illegal to damage or deface coins?

Section 331 of Title 18 of the United States code provides criminal penalties for anyone who fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the Mints of the United States. This statute means that you may be violating the law if you change the appearance of the coin and fraudulently represent it to be other than the altered coin that it is. As a matter of policy, the Mint does not promote coloring, plating or altering U.S. coinage: however, there are no sanctions against such activity absent fraudulent intent. 

So what this is saying is that it's illegal to alter coins for the intention of defrauding someone; for example, making a quarter look like a dollar, or changing the date on an old coin to one that is more rare and valuable.  And there are no sanctions against coloring, plating or altering U.S. coinage.

So, smashing a penny in a machine at Disneyland is perfectly legal.  Altering a quarter or silver dollar so it forms a ring (as pictured above) that you can wear is perfectly legal.  Stamping words or letters on a coin is also perfectly legal.

In fact, stamping words onto coins was commonly used for free advertising in the 1800's!  

What Are Counterstamped Coins?

This is an interesting bit of  "forgotten history":  in the 19th Century, as a form of free advertising, people would stamp slogans, names, products, etc. onto coins.  About 5% of all coins by 1850 were stamped.  All denominations were stamped, including some gold coins.   Here are a couple of examples:

Pears Soap advertisement stamped onto a French franc

U.S. Copper Large Cent Coin Used For Political Advertising

The Prolific Coin Advertiser, Dr. Wilkins

 Dr. G. G. Wilkins of New Hampshire used thousands of coins to advertise his many businesses:  a dental practice, a barber shop, saloons, and even products such as "Bear Oil" which was a cure-all!

These stamped coins used to sit in antique shop bins unnoticed, but the demand for these interesting coins has risen with numismatists and history buffs.

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I will add just one thing: most coins contain metals, such as nickel, that cause a lot of skin irritation.  For example, U.S. quarters were made of silver until 1965.  Now they're made from copper and nickel--as are U.S. nickels and dimes---very irritating to wear!  So if you want to wear a coin as a ring or pendant, I'd suggest a pure silver coin, or a penny--it's copper plated zinc since 1982, and mostly pure copper before then.

Mojave Turquoise, Composite Turquoise---What Is It?

Genuine Turquoise

Turquoise has been a treasured gemstone across many cultures for thousands of years---Egyptians, Persians, Maya, Aztec, Native North Americans, Chinese---due to its beautiful blue-green color and metaphysical properties.  It is still a very popular gemstone, but is difficult to work with because it is very soft and brittle.  So several treatments are done on natural turquoise to make it wearable.

Natural Turquoise

Turquoise Treatments:

• Natural and untreated turquoise is VERY rare (about 1% of all turquoise in jewelry)
• Stabilized turquoise is treated in various ways, and is considered to be genuine turquoise.  Even Sleeping Beauty turquoise is treated.  Methods include heat, apoxy, and dyes.  Nearly ALL of the genuine turquoise sold is stabilized, including turquoise jewelry on shopping channels, in stores, and in jewelry retailers.
• Reconstituted turquoise is considered to be NOT genuine turquoise.  It's powdered turquoise mixed with chemicals and glues and dyes.  It is unethical to refer to this as "genuine turquoise" as it is mostly other materials.
• Block turquoise is made entirely out of dyed plastics and chemicals, and contains no turquoise.
• Dyed Howlite/Magnesite is NOT turquoise, but is a simulated turquoise.
• Yellow Turquoise is NOT Turquoise, but is African yellow jasper.  African green jasper is also sold as "green turquoise" but there is NO TURQUOISE in this stone---it is jasper, a type of Quartz.

So basically, you want to find "Stablized Turquoise" and not "Reconsituted Turquoise" for jewelry.  There is a new form of "mosaic" turquoise that is a stabilized turquoise, called "Mojave" or "Mohave" or "Copper Turquoise".

MOJAVE TURQUOISE/COPPER TURQUOISE

Blue Mojave Turquoise

There is a fairly new type of composite turquoise (since 2008) or "mosaic" turquoise that consists of pieces of genuine turquoise that are bonded together, along with other minerals (such as pyrite), using polymers.  Colors are added to the polymer to produce "Purple Turquoise" and "Green Turquoise", and "Red" or "Orange Turquoise".

The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) did a detailed exam of this turquoise in 2010 (you can read the pdf here) and it was found to be genuine turquoise.   Because small pieces of genuine turquoise are bonded into a larger piece, whether dyed or not, the end product is considered to be genuine turquoise.

The purple and green turquoise samples were dyed, and the blue composite turquoise was undyed.  The metallic "matrix" is found to be genuine ground pyrite or copper.  If you look closely, you can see the blue turquoise peeking through the colored polymers in both the green and purple examples below.  I assume they use yellow dyes to make the green, and reddish pink dyes to make the purple. 

Purple Mojave Turquoise

Green Mojave Turquoise

CONCLUSION:
This is a BEAUTIFUL and affordable way to wear turquoise!  (These are genuine turquoise, so they aren't "cheap" but are well-priced.)   Although it's an assembled gemstone, it is made of all natural turquoise, and "blue Mojave turquoise" contains NO dyes.  The other colors are also extremely beautiful and interesting.  These are genuine turquoise gemstones, in a beautiful array of colors----much, MUCH more beautiful than dyed Howlite (which can be found in lots of weird neon greens and yellows, etc.) and made from all GENUINE turquoise pieces.

Turquoise, Spiny Oyster, MOP Composite Gemstones

I've seen some other beautiful assembled stones lately----turquoise and spiny oyster, "copper obsidian", some beautiful gems that look like they use pieces of mother-of-pearl plus black onyx, and more.  I am definitely going to buy some of these!  Here is one seller on Etsy, and there are many more, who have these beautiful new gemstones!  I'm not exactly sure what materials are used some of these assembled stones since they haven't been tested (the GIA's test was only for the Mojave Turquoise stones, and that was 6 years ago!) but there are new techniques in the jewelry industry every day.  If you search for "Mojave turquoise" (or spelled Mohave) or "Copper Turquoise", you will find a LOT of lovely choices!

"Copper Obsidian" Stones--plus Turquoise?

Genuine Obsidian v. Fake Blue, Green, Aqua, Yellow, Red Glass "Obsidian"

Obsidian Is Glass, But Not All Glass Is Obsidian!

Chunk of Blue Glass--NOT Obsidian

Recently, I wrote about Obsidian---which is natural volcanic or basalt rock that is made of natural glass, which forms when lava rapidly cools.  Genuine Obsidian is translucent and very dark---usually black or smoke grey, but can also be banded (Rainbow),  brown (Mohogany Obsidian), black with white inclusions (Snowflake Obsidian), and even tiny hair-like filaments caught in trees (Pele's Hair Obsidian).  There is also "Sheen Obsidian", which is black but has iridescent sheen in blues, greens, and golds, which is due to gas bubbles trapped inside.  Here are some pictures of varieties of genuine Obsidian, other than the common dark black or smoke grey obsidian:

Rainbow Obsidian and Fire Obsidian are colorful due to inclusions of Magnetite nanocrystals.  Sheen Obsidian has blue, green, or golden flashes of color that glows and moves with the light, due to inclusions of torpedo-shaped or needle-shaped gas bubbles.  Snowflake obsidian has white splotches due to cristobalite spherulites.  Mahogany Obsidian is brown or reddish brown due to iron impurities.  Apache Tears are naturally smooth nuggets of dark obsidian:

Apache Tears

WHAT IS *NOT* OBSIDIAN

There are a LOT of sellers on the internet, on Etsy, on Ebay, on all sorts of websites, who are selling colored man-made glass as Obsidian.  They claim that it's "natural", a "mineral" (which is false--obsidian OR glass are not minerals), "rare" in colors such as aqua and blue, and even give it names such as "Himalayan Blue" and "Siberian Blue" and "Andara Blue" and "Gaia Stone*" and many, many more.  Some "creative" sellers claim that "blue obsidian" forms when lava reaches the water!  WOW.

These transparent blue, green, aqua, red, purple, yellow,etc. stones are nothing more than man-made GLASS.  Some sellers are even selling faceted blue glass "gemstones" as "Obsidian", and none of these are anything other than man-made glass (or some sort of crystal or CZ perhaps).  I have written about this jewelry separately, below.  Many metaphysical shops on Etsy and elsewhere are offering tumbled GLASS as "obsidian" with all sorts of metaphysical properties, healing properties, etc.  Some are even selling "palm" stones or "thumb" stones, which are nothing more than flat glass "gems" that you can buy by the bag at Dollar Tree or Michael's!  I'm all for free enterprise, but buyers need to be careful not to overspend on glass!

This is often more than just "creative marketing" so please BEWARE!

Here are some examples of  glass being sold as "obsidian"----none of these are natural:

Sometimes, even though the title of these for sale says "obsidian", the description will divulge that it's man-made glass.  Does that seem right to you?  To me, it's totally disingenuous to even say "Obsidian" AT ALL if it's just glass.

Here are flat-backed glass "gems" that sell for $1 a bag at Dollar Tree and elsewhere:

Flat-backed Blue Glass "Gems" (R) and Colors (Back)

Here are more examples of  "natural obsidian" being sold online, all of which are glass or cz or crystal:

Here you can see a great variety of glass being sold as "natural obsidian".  Some are faceted spheres, some smooth spheres, LOTS of skulls and "eggs" which I didn't bother to picture, glass pieces in green (some shaped like a crystal!), red glass, and a LOT of jewelry or "gemstones" that are marketed as "obsidian" but definitely are NOT----they are cheap glass or CZ, but are being sold for top dollar.  There was SO MUCH of these fake gemstones all over the internet that I wrote about it separately!

ANDARA CRYSTAL
There are SO many sellers on Etsy and Ebay (and elsewhere online) who are selling slag glass as a mysterious "Andara Crystal" with mystical and magical powers.  Slag glass is just a big chunk of leftover glass from manufacturing.  It's found in pretty much any color.  There is NOTHING mystical about glass---it's NOT a mineral and in fact doesn't even possess ANY crystal structure!  So sellers offering "Andara Crystal" with all sorts of names ("Pele's Fire" and "Merlin's Purple" and Divine Fire" and on and on....) are just selling you a chunk of manmade GLASS.
IT IS NOT A GEMSTONE!  IT IS NOT A MINERAL!  IT IS NOT A CRYSTAL!  
Please---Buyer Beware!

*GAIA STONE, HELENITE, OBSIDIANITE, MOUNT ST. HELENS OBISIDIAN
Volcanic ash from the Mount St. Helen's eruption is used to create a man-made glass along with coloring additives.  These glass stones can be found in transparent green, blue, and red, and are often found in jewelry marketed to tourists.  These are NOT natural obsidian, and are just another form of man-made glass.  The trademarked name "Helenite" has since been abandoned, but this glass is also known by other names such as Gaia Stone, Obsidianite, and Mount St. Helens Obsidian.  You can read all about its background and how it's made HERE.  As stated in that article, please note that this material:

• was not produced during the Mount St. Helens eruption
• is man-made
• is not rare because it can be produced in great quantities
• is easily scratched because of its low hardness
• chips easily
• its color is determined by adding colorants to the melt

When I googled images of "Helenite", I was surprised to see a lot of this glass being marketed as "gem rough".  It's really just glass, not a gem!

JEWELRY
Here are some really fraudulent examples of jewelry that is made with glass, or CZ, or crystals---but NONE of these are natural Obsidian, despite their price (sometimes outrageous) or claims.  My guess is that since these are just glass,  if a gemologist were to examine these, they would see NO crystal structure (a giveaway for glass) and by saying it's "natural" obsidian, they are attempting to add a value to otherwise inexpensive glass or crystal:

(Ooops--I included the green halo ring twice!)

These are ridiculous!  Some of these blue CZ/glass/crystal rings are found at Kohl's under a "designer's" brand, the second ring is just "Blue Goldstone" which is Venetian glass that has copper crystals inside of it,  some jewelry is on high-end jewelry websites (the ring appears in all the pictures to NOT be "rare blue obsidian"---which would be blue sheen obsidian----but instead looks to be either chalcedony or just art glass, set in sterling with a gold bezel, and sold for almost $900!!  See picture below for a genuine sheen obsidian ring), 3 of the rings in the center are being sold for hundreds of dollars (!) and are just blue CZ or crystal, but marketed as "Himalayan Blue Obsidian" and next to it another "Himalayan Blue Obsidian" even though they are different colors of blue (same seller), and then a "unique" and "rare" "Neon Paraiba Obsidian" ring---very expensive, especially for glass or CZ!  The cobalt blue rings and pendant used to be called "lab sapphire" (which it wasn't) but are now being called "obsidian", maybe because they ARE glass, not sure.  The pendant at the bottom was given two very fancy-sounding names:  Bahia blue Obsidian and Tibetan Aqua Obsidian----and of course they are neither, just glass or cz.

For comparison here is a picture of a GENUINE obsidian (blue sheen or perhaps rainbow sheen) ring on etsy:

GENUINE Sheen Obsidian ring

You will note that it is dark (translucent black) obsidian with a natural "sheen" due to naturally-trapped gas bubbles within the obsidian.  Pretty!!


GLASS SLAG, TEMPERED GLASS
Here are some pictures of glass, being sold as GLASS, for use in fire pits or outdoor gardens.  These are tempered glass pieces, or sometimes just slag glass.  You will see that this glass is the SAME as the glass being sold as "obsidian", including the aqua glass, the purple glass, and the center "cubes" of iridescent glass:

Inexpensive GLASS, sold by the pound

SIBERIAN BLUE QUARTZ OR TIBETAN BLUE OBSIDIAN?
Here is an example of something REALLY fake.  I saw this when I was searching for "blue obsidian" and just had to share this here.  Both of these are identical in size and shape, same silver setting, same split bail, same prongs, same faceted "flower" cut, everything, but different websites.  On the left is a pendant being sold online as "Siberian Blue Quartz" (there is NO such quartz---so that's a fraud) and on the right is the very same pendant sold on a website (Satya Center) as "Tibetan Blue Obsidian":

So you can see how sellers just make up names for things---quartz, obsidian, etc.!  And they fabricate where it's "found" (the Himalayas? AND Siberia?") when all it is, is actually a man-made blue sapphire simulant.  (Probably glass--the one on the right looks VERY glassy.)  The one on the right sells for almost $300 (!!) and the one on the left is about $140!!  Each is worth FAR FAR less than that. 
Buyer beware!!

SUMMARY
Obsidian is a naturally-forming translucent, dark, natural glass rock.  It is formed due to volcanic activity.  It is translucent black, reddish brown ("mahogany"), with banding or white splotches (snowflake), or with iridescent sheen in blue or green or gold due to trapped gasses, or rainbow or fire obsidian (due to trapped Magnesite).   The faceted "gems" that are transparent blues and aquas are NOT Obsidian, but are man-made glass or something.  The tumbled or shards of transparent "obsidian" in all shades of blues, greens, reds, aquas, yellows, and other bright colors are just simply GLASS that you can buy anywhere, in any craft store, at roadside tables, or fireplace shops or home improvement stores.

Colored glass is certainly pretty (art glass!) but jewelry made with transparent "blue obsidian" is most definitely made with some sort of man-made glass and is NOT worth hundreds of dollars.

BUYER BEWARE!