Basalt glass
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Description
A black, glassy, volcanic stone that is composed of Basalt rather than Obsidian. Basalt glass, or glassy basalt, is an amorphous silicate found primarily in Oahu, Hawaii (Brady 1971). It is also known as Hawaiian obsidian and tachylite. Basalt glass is used for small decorative items and it polishes to a high gloss.
Synonyms and Related Terms
glassy basalt; Hawaiian obsidian; tachylite; tachylyte; verre baltique (Fr.); vidro basáltico (Port.)
Resources and Citations
- G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 641
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998
- Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "Basalt." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2004. Accessed 9 May 2004.