Thin pieces are translucent while larger pieces are so uniform in color that they will reflect the blue sky like the one above.Ībove, the colors of the rainbow obsidian vary from subtle hues to vibrant shades that saturate the spectrum. The one above is about the size of a softball, the one below about the size of a large New York steak.Ībove, at the Rainbow Mine, you will find some of the most beautiful black obsidian. This was found at the surface of the Obsidian Needle Mine.Ībove and below, two of the many varieties of mahogany obsidian found at the Obsidian Needle Mine. Above, is a pile of mahogany obsidian located at the Obsidian Needle Mine.Ībove, called Aurora Obsidian, beautiful translucent green and black piece is mixed with mahogany obsidian. There is very limited if any, phone service in the area of the mines, so make sure you plan for this.Ībove and below, some of the many kinds of obsidian that you can find at the Modoc National Forest Obsidian Mines. If you haven’t brought enough supplies with you, make sure you buy drinking water, snacks, food, and gasoline at the Davis Creek Mercantile before you start out. But before you go breaking off shards of obsidian, reread number 3 above! Instead, if you want to determine what type of obsidian you have in your hand, find an inconspicuous place on the obsidian and break off a small piece with your rock hammer. It’s hard to scrub off so wait until you get home. Most of the obsidian is covered with a matrix of million-year-old dried ash and dirt. 4.) Read numbers 2 and 3 again! 5.) Bring shovels, picks, and a good rock hammer. 3.) Obsidian is nature’s glass and it is very, very sharp! Bring good gloves and ALWAYS wear safety glasses. You are in a fairly remote area and you may be depended on to save a life. 2.) Bring a well-stocked first aid kit and have some understanding of first aid. You don’t need a 4-wheel drive vehicle, but a high clearance vehicle like a pick-up or an SUV is recommended. One 5-gallon bucket is about 50 pounds, two full buckets are equal to about 100 pounds.īefore you even start on this trip, here are a few things that you should know and what you should bring with you. Make sure to get a permit for everyone in your party because you can only take 100 pounds of material per person during the 14 days that your permit is good for. They usually open at about 9:00am and the people who run the place are about as friendly as you will ever find. How much does it cost to collect obsidian here? It’s free, but you have to obtain a permit at the Davis Creek Mercantile, 41942 US 395, Davis Creek, California 96108. They are really just diggings of no more than three or four feet deep. The “mines” are typically flat spaces that are situated among tall pines. Now don’t be scared off by thinking that you are going to have to go deep into a mine. But more on the types of obsidian and where they can be found later.īelow, is the Davis Creek Mercantile where you can obtain the free permit to search for obsidian.īelow you will find a map that shows where each mine is. At one mine you can also find obsidian needles. In these mines, you can find the famous Davis Creek rainbow obsidian, beautiful black obsidian, as well as mahogany, electric blue, electric green, royal purple, gold sheen, silver sheen, translucent, variegated, banded, lavender, and pink. There are several obsidian mines that are owned by the Modoc National Forest, a division of the United States Department of Agriculture. One of the best places to hunt for obsidian is at Davis Creek in the most north-east portion of California, just off Highway 395.
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