What Is Obsidian?
Obsidian is a natural volcanic rock that can be formed by the fast cooling of lava that gets extruded from a volcano. It’s characterized by the texture of glass, with no mineral growth which gives it a very unique and beautiful appearance.
Obsidian is often black due to the fast cooling of lava, and the content of lava that is mainly ferromagnesian minerals, which explains the absence of other colors in this mineral.
Obsidian is usually used to make jewellery, mirrors and countertops. This is due to it’s unique appearance and functionality that can last for years and years with proper maintenance and care.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the main advantages of black obsidian countertops, to help you make a choice for your future countertop material.
Can Obsidian Be Used for Countertops?
Obsidian is a volcanic glass, which means that obsidian countertops can be easily scratched, and it’s hard for it to resist to high impacts. Further more, when broke up, obsidian shatters into small sharp pieces that can be very dangerous. It’s note-worthy that obsidian is at the rank of 5 to 5.5, while quartz is at 7 in the hardness scale.
So in general, obsidian is not the best material to go to for kitchen countertops, but it can be used as a backsplash, where it can be relatively safe, especially that obsidian is heat-proof and can support moisture.
So before choosing obsidian for your kitchen countertop, make sure that your kitchen is a low traffic kitchen so it can last for a long time. Otherwise, if you have a high traffic kitchen, consider using a more durable material such as quartz countertops, or quartzite countertops.
Are Obsidian Countertops Durable
As mentioned above, obsidian is a volcanic glass that is ranked 5 to 5.5 on the hardness scale, while quartz for example is ranked 7 on the hardness scale. This means that obsidian is slightly less durable than plenty of other countertop materials.
Obsidian countertops can get scratched easily if you cut directly on them using a stainless steel knife, or drag a pan on it. On the other hand, obsidian countertops can resist to heat and moisture, and can be cleaned very easily using water and soap.
Obsidian countertops are acid-proof, so you don’t have to worry about vinegar spills, or afraid about using some harsh chemicals-based cleaner to wipe your black obsidian countertop.
Further more, obsidian countertops will never get stained due to the absence of porosity in this kind of material.
How Much Does Obsidian Countertop Cost?
Obsidian countertops can cost you something from 50$ to 100$ per square feet, not including the installation fees. So its a fair price when comparing it to the other materials in the market.
The premium appearance of obsidian can be a very unique and added value to your kitchen, but as a said, not in every kitchen obsidian can fit. You would consider using obsidian countertops in low traffic kitchens! otherwise, using obsidian as a backsplash is better.
