The facts
What apache Tears actually is
Apache Tears is classified as volcanic glass (marekanite), with the composition SiO₂-rich glass. It crystallises in the amorphous system.
Colour comes from translucent smoky brown-black from iron oxide nanoparticles, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.48–1.51. Specific gravity around 2.33–2.42. Cleavage: none (conchoidal fracture). Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where apache Tears comes from
Apache Tears is produced at Superior, Arizona, USA and Apache Leap, Arizona, USA.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How apache Tears is treated
Untreated rounded obsidian nodules weathered out of perlite. Tumbled and sold in volume; value is nominal.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What apache Tears is confused with
In the trade apache Tears is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Obsidian, Smoky quartz pebbles or Glass.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.48–1.51 and specific gravity 2.33–2.42 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What apache Tears is used for
Demand for apache Tears comes from mineral collecting, decorative objects, jewellery and wellness and body care, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the specimen, by the piece or by the carat.
Durability and care
Apache Tears is 5–5.5 on the Mohs scale, with none (conchoidal fracture) cleavage.
Below about 5.5 a stone will be scratched by ordinary household dust, which is largely quartz. That does not make it unusable — it makes it a pendant, an earring or an object rather than a ring worn every day.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What apache Tears costs
As a guide, apache Tears trades around Nominal, $1–5 per tumbled piece.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is apache Tears treated, and how?
Untreated rounded obsidian nodules weathered out of perlite. Tumbled and sold in volume; value is nominal.
Where does apache Tears come from?
Superior, Arizona, USA and Apache Leap, Arizona, USA. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is apache Tears hard enough to wear every day?
Not really. At 5–5.5 on the Mohs scale it is softer than the quartz dust in ordinary household dirt, so it scratches with wear. It suits pendants, earrings and objects better than a daily ring.
How much does apache Tears cost?
Indicatively Nominal, $1–5 per tumbled piece. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is apache Tears confused with?
Most often Obsidian, Smoky quartz pebbles and Glass. A refractive index of 1.48–1.51 and a specific gravity near 2.33–2.42 separate it quickly.
What is apache Tears used for besides jewellery?
mineral collecting, decorative objects and wellness and body care. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for apache tears?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about apache tears