He then used a file to dull the sharpest edges because the stuff produces cleavages as sharp as a razor blade. No wonder it was so highly prized for making cutting implements by primitive people. Obsidian is volcanic lava that has cooled rapidly, preventing crystals from forming. Chemically, it is silicon dioxide, the same thing quartz is made of, but because it is homogenous, it cleaves down to edges that are only atoms in thickness. These obsidian eggs look like our hematite eggs at first glance, but as soon as you pick one up and turn it, it will catch the light and you will see a flash of gold coming from inside the egg.
All faces have a nice polish.
Beautiful paper weights. Good workmanship and good polish. They are made from onyx from Pakistan. Really pretty honey colored onyx, shaped like an egg and highly polished. This material comes from Morocco, South Africa.