Agni Manitite is a variety of obsidian found on the Indonesian island of Java. Named for the Sanskrit term “Pearl of the Divine Fire,” it gives the appearance of a meteorite tektite, but in reality it formed from volcanic eruptions. This variety of obsidian is particularly interesting as it is created when lava cools midair, meaning it rains down to the ground as a fully formed piece of volcanic glass.

Just as volcanoes can be destructive, they are also an important part of the cycle of life. Eruptions create fertile soil for lush jungles, release water vapor into the atmosphere, and are even responsible for 80% of our Earth's surface. Obsidian is a gift that reminds us of these powerful but life-giving forces of nature.

This necklace contains one of these beautiful pieces of Agni Manitite and is an incredible touchstone of the volcanic process.

The volcanic glass is set into a fine sterling silver backing and comes with an 18" chain of the same material. Agni Manitite is a uniquely textured black glass that is an incredible addition to any wardrobe. Each necklace is shipped within a black jewelry box and comes with a small informational card that also serves as the certificate of authenticity.

Please Note: Due to the explosive formation of the material, there is some variance in shape and texture of the pendants. No two are exactly alike as each was uniquely formed at the time of eruption. Every piece of Agni Mantite is its own encapsulation of the moment of creation.

"A Pearl of the Divine Fire" - Sanskrit translation of Agni Manitite

Born from the fiery mouth of an active volcano, Agni Manitite is a type of volcanic glass which forms as airborne lava cools in free fall. This pyroclastic mineral comes from the island of Java, which is home to over 30 volcanoes. Silicate lava hardens during the eruptions and turns into dark glass stones that rain across the island.

Obsidian is a black volcanic glass that forms from high silica lavas. Throughout human history, it was used as both a razor-sharp tool or a handy reflective surface. The formation process for obsidian is quite involved and several factors need to go right for it to appear. 

Certain lavas with high levels of silica are quite viscous and the atoms in the lava flow are unable to disperse as easily. This prevents the mass crystallization process which creates basalts or rhyolites. Instead, it can undergo a rapid cooling that turns the lava into natural glass. We call this brittle material obsidian. In the case of Agni Manitite, the eruptions blast lava into the sky. The high speeds cool the lava droplets as they soar and it rains back down to Earth in the form of obsidian.

Volcanoes form thanks to the processes of plate tectonics. Massive rocky plates on the upper level of the Earth's mantle are slowly pushed across the surface by heated currents from the planet's molten core. These plates are always rubbing against one another and the edges are subjected to extreme heat and pressure. The edges of these plates melt into magma, which slowly rises back up to the surface. 

Magma under the surface builds and swells in pressure until it explodes, not unlike a shaken soda bottle. It then shoots out onto the crust as lava, where it cools into rock or obsidian. This process is actually incredibly important to the formation of land; over 80% of the Earth's surface comes from these volcanic eruptions and coolings.

Java is the perfect site for obsidian to form as the island itself is made up of over one hundred volcanoes, thirty-five of which remain active. Volcanoes are, of course, destructive forces and their eruptions capable of destroying everything in their path. However they are also sources of life-giving resources: water vapor that helped form the atmosphere, rich nutrients for soil that grows lush jungles, and the formation of the very ground we stand on today. 

Java’s volcanic activity has given it some of the most fertile land on the Earth as well as the beautiful Agni Manitite that falls to its ground. Obsidian is a gift that reminds us of these powerful but life-giving forces of nature.