Game of Thrones fans may know what dragonglass is but the rest of you may be going, “Huh?” The rock plays an important role in the story. Most people know it by the name obsidian. Like glass, obsidian fractures into pieces with sharp edges. It can be found in a wide variety of colors.
Obsidian forms when lava from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth. Volcanic activity in Central Oregon is recent, in geological terms, so obsidian is fairly common in some areas. Lava flows covered hundreds of acres in this region. I have found obsidian in my yard between the sagebrush and bunchgrass. Isn’t this a cool piece?
Finding dragonglass at Glass Buttes
I’m lucky because I live about an hour away from a place with TONS of obsidian called Glass Buttes. When you drive along the dirt roads there, the streets are literally paved in “gold” in the form of obsidian. You are advised to have good tires on your car because that stuff can pop a tire fast.
Recent research has found obsidian is so sharp it cuts more cleanly than a metal scalpel blade. http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/02/health/surgery-scalpels-obsidian/
The varieties of obsidian at Glass Buttes can be found in shades of black, silver, gold, mahogany, green, and rainbows of color. The obsidian is solid, striped, spotted, and clear. It sparkles and shines when the smallest ray of sunlight hits it. As you wander in the sagebrush covered hills at Glass Buttes, it’s like being a kid in a candy store.
In my guest room I keep a dish full of obsidian where most people might place a bowlful of candy. Guests might be temporarily disappointed until they take a closer look. It is amazing!
People have been collecting obsidian and making arrowheads, spear points, knife blades, and scrapers with it since the Stone Age. Items made from obsidian have been found hundreds of miles away from the source.
Here is a site where you can learn more about obsidian.
http://geology.com/rocks/obsidian.shtml
This site has obsidian for sale but I like going to it to see pictures of the many different varieties. You can also purchase a detailed guide about rockhounding in Oregon here.
http://orerockon.com/ore_rock.htm
See Glass Buttes Obsidian Field Trip for more details on this site full of dragonglass.
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I just returned from a trip to Glass Buttes. I found a pit that supposedly had “lizard skin” obsidian…It was pale grey materiel with black.. looked like smashed, smeared black bubbles in it. Research has placed it with many names. I camped at a site some called “crazy lace pit”.. I thought crazy lace is agate. But this pit has mahogany with beautiful patterns of black and red. Some has golden sheen in the red, some includes translucent or clear glass in it. Very pretty no matter the name..Dragon skin ,leopard skin, midnight lace, sheens that cover the entire surface, sheens that run only in pattern lines. But which is which? Does it matter? I can’t keep my eyes off the ground when I’m there. My buckets get too heavy, I run out of places to put more. I get a bucket of water and try to thin out my finds. Then I end up walking past the toss pile and pick just this one…or that.. ok both, and this one, stand up ,I think, STOP LOOKING- I must!…My back hurts, my neck is kinked. I’m sun burn’t, hungry n thirsty. But just one more minute, hour, day …OMG! just look up!. Is this what gold fever was like? I just can’t get enough of this stuff!!!! Thanks for letting me share my wonderful trip with obsidian!
Wow, Melissa! It sounds like you had a great time there and brought back lots of treasures. I understand completely how it’s hard to not pick up “just one more” piece of obsidian at Glass Buttes. It’s all over the place! Your comment brought a big smile to my face. 😁