Description
A strand of black obsidian in 8 millimetres, and a small stainless steel dumbbell threaded between two beads. The motif is explicit, the rest is plain. It is a gym bracelet that does not look like gym gear.
The dumbbell is 316L stainless steel, not gilded alloy or zamak. It is the same steel used for barbells and for body jewellery, and that is what counts here: it does not rust with sweat, does not blacken, and does not set off a reaction in most skins sensitive to nickel. On a piece meant to be sweated in, the choice of metal matters more than its drawing.
The strand is strung in 8 millimetres and no larger, for a reason of comfort: a 10 or 12 mm bead slips under the palm when you grip a bar or a handlebar, and you feel it. Eight millimetres stay above the wrist. That said, obsidian is not a sports bracelet, and that is the next point. The other bracelets are here.
The reservation matters and I repeat it to myself every time I string this model: it should not be worn during the session. Obsidian is a volcanic glass, it chips on impact, and a loaded bar touching it will chip it in one go. This bracelet goes with the gym, it does not go into it. The motif is a wink, not a promise of toughness.
Crystal lore ties obsidian to grounding and to strength, and it is that connection that explains why it turns up on sports jewellery. None of that is proven, and no piece of jewellery heals anything. I have gathered separately what tradition attributes to obsidian, in the conditional from start to finish.
- Real black obsidian, round 8 mm beads.
- 316L stainless steel dumbbell, which does not rust with sweat.
- To take off during the session: obsidian chips on impact with a bar.
- Hand-strung in France on braided elastic cord, no clasp.
What to know before you wear it
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The specifications
- Stone
- Black obsidian, volcanic glass
- Bead diameter
- 8 mm
- Motif
- 316L stainless steel dumbbell
- Wrist size
- 17 to 19 cm / 6 3/4 to 7 1/2 in, elastic
- Stringing
- Braided elastic cord, no clasp
- Weight
- About 20 g / 0.7 oz
- Stone origin
- Mexico
- Gender
- Unisex
- Brand
- Bijoux Obsidienne
A sports bracelet that does not survive sport
A metal piece threaded between two stone beads wears the cord faster than the beads do. Steel has edges, even softened ones, and the elastic rubs on them with every movement of the wrist. So on this model I thread two passes of elastic instead of one, and I place the dumbbell opposite the knot so the two weak points never sit side by side. That doubles the life of the stringing.
This model exists because people kept asking me for an obsidian piece that did not look esoteric. The dumbbell settles the question in one object: the bracelet talks about the gym and not about crystal lore. The other bracelets are here, and the obsidian guide explains the stone.
It is a bracelet that goes with the gym. It does not go into it, a loaded bar chips it in one go.
Obsidian does not mind water and 316L steel does not rust, but the stone chips on impact: take the bracelet off before the session and before any contact sport. A soft cloth is enough, never an ultrasonic bath. Cleaning an obsidian piece covers the rest.
