Obsidian

A dark surface made by cooling.

Natural volcanic glass

Obsidian forms when lava cools too quickly for crystals to grow. Its near-black surface brings a precise, architectural pause to a piece.

Colour

Black to smoke-grey

Formation

Rapidly cooled volcanic lava

Origin

Volcanic regions worldwide

Hardness

5–5.5 Mohs

Care

Store separately from harder stones

A deep black that gives form to stillness.

Xuan is the dark colour of depth and the unknown. Obsidian's glassy surface brings that idea into a precise contemporary form, balanced by restraint rather than ornament.