WHAT TO CUT
Mexican Peanut Obsidian
BY RUSS KANIUTH
Mexican Peanut obsidian was discovered in the 1960s near Alamos, Sonora, Mexico. In recent years it’s become exceedingly scarce as it has been a lapidary favorite for years. Many people are attracted to orbicular stones or something that resembles flowery patterns, and Peanut Obsidian has all that and more.
Though it’s not exactly obsidian, it is perlite with spherulites in it. The spherulites are radiating crystals of feldspar, tinted by hematite. They are quite chatoyant when cut and polished, which adds fascination to the already beautiful orbicular design in this material. The backing matrix is predominantly black but also comes in grey tones with some banding. The spherulites are generally reddish-orange and generally round; however, recently, I’ve seen batches where the orbs have split and grown in different directions or formed clumps of flowery clusters, which adds to the beauty of this stone.