Apache Tears

There's a stone found out here in Arizona. It's called an Apache tear.

It's actually obsidian, a glass-like substance formed by volcanic eruptions--which is a mystery because the nearest volcano to Arizona is probably Mt. St. Helens or something.

Here's one version of the Apache Legend (this comes from Wikipedia):

"The stones are supposedly the tears shed by the wives and families of a band of Apache warriors who were killed by the U.S. military in retaliation for [an Apache] raid on [a white] Arizona settlement."

The tears became petrified and turned to stone.

Because Apache tears are pieces of volcanic glass, when held in the palm of your hand, the stones are opaque and appear black. When held to the light, the stones are translucent and you can see through the stone.

If you're given one by a friend, it's very bad luck to give it away.

Polished Version:

Natural, Unpolished Stones: