Moldavite — Czech Tektite — Etched Section

$462.83
Chemical FormulaSilica glass (lechatelierite)
Crystal System
Mohs Hardness5.5
Specific Gravity2.32–2.38
LusterVitreous
TransparencyTransparent

15 million years ago, a 1.5-kilometer asteroid struck what is now Bavaria, generating a fireball that melted local surface silica and splashed liquid rock across Bohemia and Moravi…

5 in stock

SKU: TC-MET-0773
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Description

There are objects in this world that carry the weight of unimaginable time. 15 million years ago, a 1.5-kilometer asteroid struck what is now Bavaria, generating a fireball that melted local surface silica and splashed liquid rock across Bohemia and Moravia. Moldavite is that impact glass — each piece formed in less than a second from vaporized European crust, then shaped by supersonic flight before cooling in free fall. The green color comes from iron.

This specimen originates from Bohemia and Moravia, Czech Republic, one of the world’s most significant localities for this type of material. Collectors and scientists have drawn from this region for generations, and for good reason: the combination of geological conditions here produces specimens of exceptional quality and clarity.

Every specimen is unique. Photographs approximate the visual experience, but the real thing — its weight, its luster under a raking light, the way it catches the corner of your eye — can only be experienced directly.

Formation

This material formed outside Earth’s atmosphere, in the early solar system. Its arrival on Earth was the conclusion of a journey billions of years and hundreds of millions of kilometers in the making — from protoplanetary accretion to atmospheric entry to the ground beneath your feet.

Locality

Moldavite — Czech Tektite — Etched Section from Bohemia and Moravia, Czech Republic. This locality is known for producing specimens of exceptional quality.

Collector Notes

Dust with a soft brush; avoid water for soft minerals (hardness below 4).