Obsidian

Hardness: 5 to 5.5   Water-safe: yes

Associations

Protection, honesty, and shadow work. Obsidian is natural volcanic glass, formed when lava cools very quickly, so it is often linked with both Fire and Earth.

Common uses

• Polished spheres or mirrors for scrying
• A chip in a protection sachet or by the door
• Held while facing something difficult and honest

Safety

Broken or raw pieces can have very sharp edges.

Metaphysical properties are traditional and modern folk associations, not scientific claims.