🌋 Short Answer: No — Obsidian Is Not a Crystal

Although many people casually refer to Obsidian as a type of crystal,
Obsidian is not a crystal — it is a natural volcanic glass.

Quartz (including Clear Quartz, Amethyst, Citrine, etc.)
belongs to the crystalline family,
while Obsidian belongs to the non-crystalline family.

Their formation, structure, and appearance are fundamentally different.

“Obsidian is Earth’s shadow — glass born from fire.
Quartz is Earth’s clarity — crystal born from time.”

🔍 Why Obsidian Is Not a Crystal

1️⃣ Different Internal Structure

✔ Obsidian

• Non-crystalline

• Amorphous volcanic glass

• Forms when lava cools rapidly

• No orderly atomic pattern

✔ Quartz (Crystal)

• True crystalline mineral

• Hexagonal crystal system

• Grows slowly over millions of years

• Visible internal patterns: veils, ice fractures, inclusions

This is the core scientific reason Obsidian ≠ crystal.

2️⃣ Different Appearance & Transparency

Obsidian’s darkness comes from iron-rich volcanic lava.
Quartz’s clarity comes from slow crystallization.

3️⃣ Different Formation Process

✔ Obsidian

Formed by rapid cooling of volcanic lava, leaving no time for crystals to grow.

✔ Quartz

Formed in geothermal environments, growing atom by atom into a stable crystal lattice.

4️⃣ Different Physical Properties

Obsidian behaves like glass and can chip easily.
Quartz is more scratch-resistant and durable.