捷克隕石

Moldavite is a bottle-green to olive natural glass and one of the most sought-after tektites. It is not a crystal but an impact glass, formed when a large meteorite struck what is now southern Germany about 14.7 million years ago, creating the Ries crater.

How moldavite formed

The impact melted and vaporised terrestrial rock and flung it high into the atmosphere; droplets of molten material cooled in flight and fell as glass across a strewn field hundreds of kilometres to the east. Moldavite takes its name from the Moldau (Vltava) River in Bohemia, near which many pieces are found, and its surface is often deeply sculpted and etched — a feature collectors prize.

Where it is found

Moldavite occurs in only one region of the world: the southern Czech Republic (Bohemia and Moravia), with minor occurrences in neighbouring Austria. This single source, combined with steady demand, makes good moldavite genuinely scarce.

For collectors

Deeply textured raw pieces with strong, even green colour are the most desirable; faceted moldavite is also cut as a gem. Because demand is high and the source limited, imitations exist — provenance and the natural etched surface matter.