Ice Obsidian Buddha Face Necklace

Half a face of the Buddha, carved into obsidian clear enough to see through.

Ice obsidian is the translucent form of the volcanic glass, smoky brown where ordinary obsidian is black, and it is carved thin here so the light comes through the cheek. The eye is lowered, the hair in tight curls, and only half the face is shown, the rest left as plain stone. The half-face is an old Buddhist device: the Buddha looks inward and the viewer supplies the rest. Obsidian has long been kept for grounding and protection, worn to hold the attention steady.

Strung on a full chain of black beads with a single gold bead at the bail, it sits under a shirt without showing. Often bought by a man who wants a Buddha on him but not on display.