Description
Moldavite Tektite .41gm from the Czech Republic
This small .41gm Moldavite tektite, has the typical mossy green colour found in this fascinating material. Moldavite is rare and has a translucent and vitreous tektite with a distinctive dimpled and rippled appearance. Moldavite is the result of a huge meteorite striking Central Europe. This occurred 15 million years ago, and formed the Nordlinger Ries crater. This particular piece of Moldavite has come from the Czech Republic. Beware! a lot of moldavite for sale on the internet is not genuine. We are happy to say all our material comes from reputable sources and is the real thing.
Tektites have been ‘mystery’ object for a long time, and also divided opinion. They were first described thousands of years ago in 900BC in ancient China. Various theories have emerged over the years as to how it was formed. These range from volcanic eruptions on the moon, to being caused by lightening, and also forest fires. For a long time they were thought to be made from obsidian, which has a similar appearance.
Tektites can be a variety of colours, with black, brown green and also yellow. The chemical makeup of Tektites is notable for the extremely high silica content. The ages of tektites can be anything from 100,000years old to 35 million years old. These strewnfields are located in locations all over the world, with the exception of Antarctica. The name Tektite derives from the Greek word ‘tektos’ meaning ‘melted’, or molten.
The current, widely held theory is that tektites are the result of meteorite impacts. The incredible temperatures then melted both stone and soil, throwing them high up into the atmosphere. The resulting ejecta then fell, at the same time rapidly cooling and covering a wide area.
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