Tektite | Moldavite | Nesměň | 5,22g

Product detailed description

Moldavites have been known since prehistoric times, when they were used to make various tools. They began to be studied towards the end of the 18th century, and it was later theorised that they were rocks of volcanic origin. However, it soon became clear that their story would be different. And that the universe may have played a role in it.

Indeed, the volcanics would not have formed without the impact of a cosmic body. But it's not the meteorites themselves, it's the tektites. The word "tektite" has its origins in Latin, meaning something that has been remelted, altered by melting, and so suggests what kind of material it is. It's a natural glass that was formed by a meteorite hitting the Earth's surface.

Moldavites are about 15 million years old and were probably formed by the impact of a huge meteorite that formed the present-day Ries Crater near Nuremberg. Its collision with the Earth's surface ejected streams of liquid material, which solidified in flight and landed in what is now the Czech Republic, Saxony and Austria.

The ground at the impact site was covered with millions of waves, but only one per cent of them have survived to this day. The rest have been irreversibly eroded. That is why pieces like the one in our offer are rare and sought after.

Moldavites are the only European tektites, and they are also one of the few in the world that are perfectly clear. All other tektites are dark brown to black in colour and translucency can only be achieved by cutting them into very thin slices. In contrast to this, moldavites are characterised by their green colour, which accounts for their popularity and high demand.

Weight: 5,22 g
Size: 32 mm x 15 mm x 12 mm
Interesting fact: Made by meteorite impact hundreds of kilometers away.