{"product_id":"obsidian-mirror-a-natural-mexico","title":"Obsidian mirror (A) — natural, Mexico","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA polished obsidian disc on a stand, cut from Mexican volcanic glass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eObsidian is one of the very few materials where you can prove where something came from rather than take someone's word for it. Every volcanic source has its own trace-element fingerprint, the glass is chemically consistent within a flow, and working it into an object doesn't change its composition. Point an X-ray fluorescence scanner at a finished piece and the volcano it came from shows up in the readings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThat was demonstrated on a famous object in 2021. A black obsidian mirror in the British Museum, owned by John Dee, astrologer and adviser to Elizabeth I, had long been assumed to be Mexican without anyone being able to show it. Researchers scanned it, measured titanium, iron and strontium against samples from Mexican sources, and matched it to Pachuca in Hidalgo. Four centuries after it reached England, the specific quarry became knowable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eMohs 5 to 5.5, so the polished face marks more easily than quartz does. Dust it before wiping, and use a soft dry cloth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMineral:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eObsidian, a volcanic glass\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCrystal system:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eNone, obsidian is amorphous\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin: \u003c\/strong\u003eMexico\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardness: \u003c\/strong\u003e5 to 5.5 on the Mohs scale; the polished face scratches easily and shows marks\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTreatment: \u003c\/strong\u003eNone\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 12.58 x 8 x 21.5 cm\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 320 g                                                                                                                                            \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote:\u003c\/strong\u003e Supplied on a stand\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eYou will receive the exact piece photographed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Crystal Showroom","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58513743610200,"sku":null,"price":66.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0778\/4880\/5720\/files\/bom-a-1.jpg?v=1789824483","url":"https:\/\/thecrystalshowroom.com\/products\/obsidian-mirror-a-natural-mexico","provider":"The Crystal Showroom","version":"1.0","type":"link"}