Saffordite

Saffordites are natural volcanic glasses from the Safford area in Arizona, USA. In scientific sources, they are classified as obsidians, meaning natural glasses of volcanic origin. Because of their unusual appearance and resemblance to some tektites, they are also referred to as pseudotektites.

Saffordites are most commonly brown, smoky brown to very dark in color, although some specimens may also show grayish or subtly violet shades. Individual pieces differ in shape, surface structure and translucency, and each represents a unique natural specimen.

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What Is Saffordite?

The name Saffordite is used for a specific natural glass found around the town of Safford in Graham County, Arizona. The material belongs to volcanic glasses of the obsidian type and formed by rapid cooling of volcanic melt.

Natural processes and long-term weathering subsequently influenced the shape and surface of individual pieces. Some specimens are rounded and may have a finely pitted or irregularly textured surface, which is one of the reasons they were historically compared in appearance to tektites.

Why Is Saffordite Called a Pseudotektite?

The term pseudotektite is used for certain natural glasses that resemble genuine tektites in appearance but formed through a different geological process. Saffordites are not products of a cosmic-body impact and therefore are neither classical tektites nor impact glasses.

Their origin is volcanic, and scientifically they are classified as obsidian glasses. The term pseudotektite therefore refers only to their resemblance to tektites, not to a shared mode of formation.