Neat specimens! The iridescent obsidian is called Sheen Obsidian; the sheen caused by the refraction of light through microscopic bubbles in the obsidian. This is different from Rainbow Obsidian in which the colour is caused by iridescence from inclusions of the mineral hedenbergite. Snowflake Obsidian is different again in which the white "snowflakes" are caused by crystal patterns of the mineral cristobalite, originating due to partial crystallisation of the glass. I know, more than you wanted to know........

There are people that won't show how to tumble obsidian and then there is you. Thank YOU for the time and the effort to go through the detailed process of how to tumble obsidian. You rock!

So fun to go back to similar “how to” videos produced by you for us newest newbees. A couple of years later it all makes so much more sense. Great job! I’ve got a friend who travelled Florida to California, try to get him to pick up some obsidian on his way back. I love to try this stone.

Old disabled house bound dusty rusty rockhound here: Some fun to watch and reminisce...ah the smell of a rock shop! You sure have a clean and well organized rock lab. Beautiful tumbled specimens of nice variety. 👌

🪨 I appreciate the time it took to make this video! It’s so enjoyable to see the process from beginning to end. Thank you!

All the varieties are beautiful. Thanks for sharing Rob!

They turned out really great, love the snowflakes

Awesome! That obsidian came out so nice and shiny! Each piece looked totally unique!😍🥰😇👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Great tutorial! It's so nice when 7 weeks only take a half hour! Thank you for all the helpful tips.

Phenomenal. You have such an outstanding operation there! Just beautiful!

Great video!!! Thanks for posting the progress.

Thank you for this, as always, great tutorial! The finished rocks look gorgeous, they were certainly worth the effort in my opinion.

This is really great. My view of obsidian was always this sharp stuff. I saw it as dangerous yet beautiful. You made it look soft and just stunning! Especially the snowflake obsidian. Thats stuff is just gorgeous

Great video Rob, lovely material. People need to see what it actually takes to make nice shiny rocks, you can’t believe the material that comes with the cheaper tumblers, just 1 week on stage 1 and a few days on each of the other stages, I think that miss information causes people to give up as it doesn’t work.

Love the polish joke 🤣🤣🤣 Those obsidian/apache tears are ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! Nice work Rob!

Thank you Rob. I feel so much more confident now about tumbling my collection of obsidian. Great video!!

Thanks for the great video. As someone who's still new to this hobby, I appreciate these very much.

Love the translucent & the Mahogany Absidiane. That quite an educational vid. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.

Another terrific video!

Great results!

Thanks so much for this video!!! Really excited to try this!!! Gees great info!!! Awesome video!!!:)

It's exciting to see this video because a lady I work with just gave me a ton of Apache Tears! Thanks for the great video

Now you done did it…I have to try obsidian now! 😂 That snowflake is gorgeous. Thanks for the great tutorial.

Great work! Cool stones, the time it takes still boggles my mind, but it's worth it! Cheers from Wisconsin.

Awesome instructional video! I messed up a few obsidian pieces in my learning days by tumbling them with other, harder rocks. But, now I know.

Wonderful video and obsidian demonstration at the end :)

Great video!

A good informative video

Perfect timing, just started a batch of apache tears. 😊

I absolutely love your videos I have learned so much

I’ve gotten a hold of some really cool pieces of obsidian they are so cool when tumbled nice and they have stripes in them

Gorgeous Stones Rob 👍 I love obsidian 👍❤️😃👋 Wish I had some p Diane to put in my Rock Tumbler 🥃👍😄

I’m glad I watched this I have a friend that wants me to do some Apache tears and I don’t want to mess them up thanks for sharing 😊

Awesome looking stones as usual. I have some snowflake obsidian, I’ve wanted to tumble but stayed away from it. Thanks for tutorial on tumbling obsidian, going to give it a try.

Beautiful.

Thanks Rob.

Hey Rob! I’m actually on my second batch of obsidian in a rotary tumbler. First try was one week each (turned out nice!) but this current barrel is using Chuck Martin’s method of three weeks per stage. Really looking forward to seeing how they finish up. Yours look great as usual!

I literally searched for this video yesterday, but I've seen you hadn't done one yet. Thanks for doing one.

Great video. I just happened to be at the Apache Tear Caves yesterday in Superior, Arizona. Collected a tumbler full. They are not like the batch you show. They are like the last one's that you can see through. Like your channel and the how to. Thanks Bob

It's all pretty. The snowflake is beautiful. Oh, the mahogany is also beautiful.

Those are cool rocks. Definitely different. ✌️💜😃

Rob, great video! I’ve got probably 5 buckets of Apache tears test we gave collected over the years, a few specimens still in matrix. The white material after your first tumble is pearlite. Thanks for the great tutorial brother!👍⛏💪🏻

I had no idea obsidian came in different colors. Thanks for the video ✌️❤️

I have some Apache Tears that I collected at a perlite mine beside hwy 60 about one mile west of Superior Az. They are different again, as they are various shades of gray in bands. Have never gotten a good polish so will try this method. Thanks Rob

The name "Apache Tears" has caused a lot of confusion. The name originated from obsidian nodules found near Superior, Arizona. The Pinal Apaches, whose territory was centered in Superior. The warriors repeatedly raided the Phoenix area, 60 miles to the west. Every time the Phoenix citizens would chase them down but they would disappear. Finally the Phoenix folks took on some warrior from a nearby tribe. The next time Phoenix was raided, the new allies waited and then tracked the Pinals back to Superior and discovered that there was a faint trail to the top of the mountain/mesa. The Phoenix citizens then crept up the trail, which was the only way to get on top. They opened fire on the Pinals, who had no way to escape. Rather than being cut down by guns, The Pinals jumped off the cliff to their deaths. That location is known as "Apache Leap". Being a historian of the Southwest, I have been able to verify this part of the story. The myth part is the Pinal women and children climbed the trail and looked down on the warriors at the bottom of the cliff and their tears turned to stone. The actual nodules (tears) are found in white glassy and dusty perlite. The Superior perlite is mined and heat treated to form those spongy white balls in potting soil as Rob said. The primary use is for filtration of foods, especially milk. The mine, more of a quarry, are not interested in the obsidian. The Superior nodules are indeed superior. As Rob said, obsidian is soft and fragile and as he has shown, it takes a lot of patience to produce great tears. Obsidian forms when a rhyolitic lava flows. Because of the chemical makeup and viscosity, the obsidian cools faster than the surrounding lava preventing it from fully form crystals. The Superior tears are translucent with whiffs of grey or brown. But there chemical makeup and physical properties make it so solid that you can actually facet it. While I would suspect there are different locations that have tears that can be faceted, but I have never run across any. My polishing process for them is nearly identical to yours, including the use of a Lot-O-Tumbler. Cushioning is absolutely imperative. I've used ceramics, plastic pellets and those rubbery "crosses" used as spacers when laying tile. The name is a matter of preference. To me, all "apache tears" are roundish nodules, but different strokes for different folks. Rob, I have followed your channel for years along with the channels of the other "rockhounds". I have learned the most from you. Cheers.

Hey I’m early! I might have to try tumbling some obsidian… you have my attention!

Seeing the difference in transparency and color is pretty interesting. Makes me wonder if a precise spectral analysis can tell you anything about the chemical composition of the rock. Thanks, Rob!

Thanks for that tutorial on apache tears! Ive never seen them quite that big and oddly shaped before, either. And i have only seen black or black with clears spots in it and round or mostly round and small. Those were like saw scraps covered in perlite. Weird! But they came out nicely and the different sheens of obsidian was a bonus. The silver sheen, gold sheen, rainbow and velvet varieties are rarer so its not what you would technically find in apache tears. You got a screaming deal on that stuff! Thanks Rob!

Great video, Rob! I used to assume this material would be too difficult to try. This gives me hope and motivation. 😁

They turned out Nice! I took the info from your Pandora Bead video and put it to use. I've sold 6 of the 7 so far and have to make some more Pudding Stone Beads for people who requested them. I used the cabber for the polishing instead of the Lot-O

We have lots of Obsidian around Topaz Mountain here in Utah. There by an where we camp. They're all over the place! Pick for days, crazy! There's Apache tears as well. Gonna hunt for some this spring. 🙂

Thank you Rob. Excellent job as always. Now I off to hunt up some sources of obsidian rough here in Australia. I don’t recall coming across it before so I’m thinking it is not as prevalent here in oz as it is in United States. Cheers and I look forward to your next project

Another great video, Informative in so many ways. especially in the 1200 polish, so many of us new commers think 1200 is going to get that "wet" look, someone in a group suggested , in final stage, micro alumina. What a difference . Also I try to keep barrel at 3/4 its hard in know I try to just keep it close. (every time I seen polish on your barrel I wanted to ask "opposed to the Italian one lol ?" I'm 50/50 for anyone that has a problem with that statement :P )

You must have the biggest collection of Michigan t-shirts!🤣 Great tutorial.

Thanks for the video, I've been tumbling for a little while now and I live in an area in Northern California where obsidian is literally in an unlimited amount but I have yet just to tumble any of it. I guess it's time to give it a try. If you want any obsidian I'd be more than happy to send you some!

very good

I’m gonna have to get a vibratory tumbler. I think the Missouri lace agate would do better in a vibratory tumbler also. I know someone who has a whole bunch of obsidian. These turned out great Rob!

So much variety ❤ Nice shine, too! World of Rockhounds has a few good videos about obsidian and discusses a few varieties. It may help. You mentioned that you also garden. Will you be doing tutorials about gardening?

Fellow told me years ago to add kero syrup to the final polish with baking soda , allow just enough water to thin the mixture enough to allow a stone to sink but not rapidly. Worked well for me at the time.

Hi Rob, nice job, I have never seen this particular stone, I have obsidian but not this kind

Really awesome results! I saw that you had other containers going in your tumbler cabinet, how do you keep track of them all? I have a hard time with just three! LOL! Your videos are so helpful for us beginners! Thanks for sharing!

When I was a little girl (I'm in my 70's) we took a trip to Maine and there were driveways at the motels that had tons of Obsidian. Wish I would have collected some of those!

Really enjoy your videos. I found when strictly using Rotary Tumblers to tumble obsidian I found it better to use smaller a smaller 23:34 Barrel than a larger one. The more empty space the more chance of bruising the Glass. I use a 4 lb. Tumbler over a 12 lb. Tumbler. I’m going to purchase a Vibratory Tumbler after seeming this video. Thanks for your expertise and keep the videos coming. Peace Out

I just love your tumbling videos! I forgot how much I like obsidian! Can one achieve this amazing outcome with a Dan and Darci rotary tumbler? I know my tumbler spins faster than a lotto, it’s like the National Geographic tumbler. Iam finding it hard to tumble labradorite which I know is softer than quarts. Any advice in general on softer stones in the faster tumbler?

I had just visited superior AZ and got me some apache tears. They look a lot like the last batch. Like tinted glass.

Great video. Just curious why only 1/2 teaspoon on the grit? I haven’t been using my vibe long but always use 2 teaspoons. I’d love to use less on regular rocks. Is it just a soft stone thing?

50 years ago, my grandfather polished a lot of Apache Tears. And being this is Michigan, he did a lot of polishing od Petoskey Stones and cut them to make Lower Michigan Bolo Tie clasps. Such beautiful stuff. 🙂 I am curious as to what is the weight loss of the Tears from before tumbling to after?

I counted 9 barrels in that tumbler.... do you write down when you put one in and where you put it to keep track or were they not all tumbling? (Great video as usual!!) :)

I was wondering if you have some advice on tumbling labradorite? I put some through my natgeo tumbler with other stones and it seemed like it was doing ok, but it didn't shine and seemed to have gotten all scuffed up. I wonder if I should have used ceramic media at a couple stages.

Olá boa noite ficaram lindas 👏👏👏

Rob, I'm currently tumbling a batch of obsidian in a rotary tumbler in stage one grit. I'm researching how to proceed after stage one. I like your process. A friend of mine said she uses corn cob media in a rotary tumbler for pre-polish and final polish. Have you tried that method?

Wow, where did you buy the rough stones, I think we could make beautiful necklaces with these stones, beautiful!!

I use a polish called M5 along with aluminum oxide, you should try some and let me know what you think. Very nice stones sir, have a great weekend. Congrats on your 100,000 award very nice.

Thanks for the tutorial. I haven't tried this yet. I have one pound each of Snow Flake, Rainbow and Apache tears. I also have some Leland blue and Seibert agate which is slag from glass factories. I was going to try tumbling them together since I believe they are the same hardness. Have you tumbled Seibert agate before? Thank you for your tutorials.

Queria uma máquina dessas

Your obsidian looks like Aurora borealis obsidian. Where did you get it from? I really like it and I don't have the green color. I have a hard time tumbling rainbow obsidian. I don't know when to stop the first stage to get the the maximum color out of the obsidian. I either tumble it to much or not enough.

Question. You started with 1/2 full of ceramics, even though you knew you had more stone than would fit. Was that to guarantee cushioning and less possibility for bruising? Or did you have another reason for so much ceramics at stage 2?

Try the black sand tailgating from supoiur Gold paying as 200 -400 stage tumbling .after 7 days still have some grit to the slurry. Seames to work so far .4tbs.too 3lb. Barrel.

Man those rocks are so beautiful and that's a word I don't usually say when talking about rocks. Your tutorials make me want to buy a tumbler. I am a newbie so any suggestions on buying my first tumbler?

Would “viscous” be the word for the slurry? I’m a wanna be lexicologist, so I love words & word choices. Truly enjoy all your vids! Thanks so much for all your work. Love from Maine!!

Those turned out great. Didn't you say a while back that there was an issue of some sort with Lot-O tumbler? We're thinking about getting one

Is it only common for rotary tumblers to bulge or do vibratory tumblers bulge as well. I'm assuming they wouldn't because of how the lids go on?

I think I like the iridescent obsidian better than the transparent stuff, although both are really cool. Yesterday I emptied 2 three pound barrels of Petoskey stones that had tumbled for eight days. Apparently I didn’t put enough water in one of the barrels. There 2 groups of 3-4 rocks cemented together and another patch of them stuck to the side of the barrel. What a mess.

Rob we found a rock near Grand Marais we couldn't find another one like it would like to show it to you we are near Grand rapids do you have a shop

Two questions: Have you ever tried tumbling translucent noviculite with success? And do you have a video about you cabinet made custom rock tumbling racks? I'd be interested in building my own rock tumbling machine and I am so curious if noviculite tumbles well.

I own a Lortone 33B, and since I haven't been lucky enough to get a vibratory tumbler, I was wondering if you've tumbled Obsidian using only a rotary for all the four stages. If so, what tips can you provide? Or should I just wait to get a vibratory tumbler for the 3 remaining stages?Thanks in advance for the insight, and as always, awesome videos!

Would this all still be the same for a regular tumbler?

😍😍😍

I have a very large , 8 “ in circumference and approximately 7 “ long. A piece was taken off by a chisel and hammer( not by me ) but the inside is solid shiny black. The outside is completely white! Do you believe this is a type of obsidian?

i don't know if you have answered this question in any of your videos, but "what do you do about the used slurry from tumbling." i ask, because what i like to do with my slurry, is to dry it up on a cookie tray, and i plan to use it as fill material out back where i plan to put my garden (but not in the garden) since im looking for gems in ore, i like to tumble the gravels to smooth them out, since they are a little rough. i dont plan to polish them though, except maybe a 1/4, 1/2 mesh plus stuff. but, i screen everything down to 100 mesh minus, and it becomes a pretty nice clay like material, and hardens when dry to almost rock itself. im wanting to process it to make an actual clay material though, since it could be a nice use of my "waste" material from such a hobby, even if it isnt high quality clay of course. but, using even 6 barrels takes a while, so i want to get one of those 40 pound "production" size tumblers, just to process it through. i know im rambling a little, but back to the question, "what do You do with your waste slurry?"

I always used barrel tumblers and never had to run any cycle more than a week, including obsidian. I also found that cerium oxide was a superior polish to aluminum oxide, not matter what material I was tumbling.

i got a question if i need to re-tumble some rocks that didn't get shiny what stages should i skip and start from

Can you do a video on how to use a vibratory rock tumbler

👍👍👍

Off topic but a video in detail about your home made tumbler cabinet would be cool. Maybe it’s already on this channel and I missed it

I have a container I put all my slurry into. It sits in there until the water is clear. The sediment settles to the bottom. I pour off the water. After the container gets to be half full I scoop it out and toss it in the trash.

Curious...instead of 60/90 silicone carbide for the fist stage. Could you use 35/70 for the first stage? You normally use the 35/70 (because u can't get 46/70 anymore) on most of your other rocks. Didn't know if this is different for Obsidian? If it is I'll order 60/90. Gonna start my batch of Obsidian & order grit as soon as I hear back from you. Thanks! Go Blue, National Champions!

Who do you sale the tumbled rocks to?

Now stack it in a rectangle and ignite it. You can go to the nether to get some nether quarts

The new batch looks like Silver Sheen Obsidian to me. Obsidian is one of my favorites.