Apache Tears

Here's an item we've have in our store on and off. They are called "Apache Tears"

They are obsidian (volcanic glass) nodules that are believed to have been thrown from the volcanoes.

They come in different sizes from pea sized;

to tennis ball sized.

This one is about golf ball sized

Legend has it, that the Apache indians got into a war with a neighboring tribe. That war took them to a high mountain side where they ran out of weapons and were losing the battle. Being a proud warrior tribe, rather than surrender, they jumped to their deaths. When the women of the tribe heard about it, they cried so hard that their tears turned to stone when they hit the ground. That's why they have perlite or other minerals on the outside. It's the tears mingling with the ground.

There are some stores here in NM that are selling nice polished black rocks as Apache Tears. We inform our customers, they are not.

We only sell a certain type of Apache Tear. They must let light shine through.


There are some Apache Tears where the carbon in them is so dense that light cannot pass through. While we have some of those, we don't put them out on the floor because they don't sell.
Maybe some day we'll find a buyer for them.