Moldavite is a bottle-green to brown-green gemstone belonging to the tektite group. It’s garnered attention due to the origin that was unusual – it is considered to have formed after a meteorite impact from condensed rock vapors. Always be careful when buying online as there are fake moldavite as well. You may sometimes see moldavite touted as “the only known extraterrestrial gemstone on earth” or”the gemstone in the stars”.
Moldavite A Tektite Rough Stone
Tektite is the overall term used to refer to organic glass rocks formed from the impact of large meteorites on the planet’s surface. They’re located around the world, called Strewnfields in four locations. Material from a large meteorite impact may be strewn several hundred kilometers from the impact crater.
Moldavite has been found in the Czech Republic, part of the German Strewnfield. Although moldavite was promoted by some as people, that is most likely not true. According to tektite concept, a meteorite impact melts material from the surface of the Earth and catapults it up to several hundred km away from the impact website. The molten material solidifies and cools to glass. In accordance with this theory, a meteorite effect causes the formation, but tektites’ precursor material is mainly as determined from isotopic measurements.
These days, the terrestrial origin of tektites is accepted based on the results of isotopic and geochemical studies.
Moldavite Deposits Czech Republic
Moldavite gets its title from the city of Moldauthein in the Czech Republic in which it was first discovered. There are four moldavite mines working in the Czech Republic, but it’s estimated that the supply of material will be emptied in about ten years’ time.
Moldavite is composed of carbon dioxide and aluminum oxide. As a glass, very similar to obsidian, it has no crystal structure. It has a hardness of about 5.5 on the Mohs scale, and a density of 2.32 to 2.38, very similar to obsidian. a raw moldavite has a refractive index of 1.48-1.54, also similar to obsidian and a vitreous luster.