Moldavite
One of world's greatest selections of Moldavite, the precious Czech tektite
TOP GEO, registered and located in Germany, has attracted worldwide attention as distributor and manufacturer of Moldavite jewelry. We offer a wide range of Moldavite finds at all sizes, our specialty are various types of jewelry made of rough and cut stones. Maybe you have very own dreams of jewelry or carving - tell us and our engravers and goldsmiths will turn them into reality!
Moldavite book by Prof Bouska (english)
Item-No.: BUCH01
Price: 19.00 EUR
Relict of an extraterrestrial visitor
Moldavite is a natural silicate glass which name was derived from the area where it's found: near the Vlatava river (German: Moldau) in the Czech Republic.
But the place of origin is three hundred away, namely the Ries crater near Stuttgart in Germany. About 15 million years ago a giant meteorite collided with Earth and destroyed all life to a distance of some hundred kilometers. At the same time some new green matter was born. Even when the extraterrestrial visitor hasn't touched Earth yet, the uppermost layers of the Earth's crust melted in the tremendous heat. The pressure waves threw the liquid rock into the atmosphere towards east. During the fast cooling there was not enough time to crystallize and a glass formed.
Similar, mostly black, glasses can be found elsewhere in the world, they are known by the common name "tektites" according to the Greek word "tektos" (= melted). However, because of its sparkling green colors (caused by Fe-ions) and richly sculptured surface Moldavite is the most beautiful tektite beyond doubt.
Most of the Moldavites shattered when they fell down from the atmosphere back to ground, but some specimens are still found as well-preserved drops, discs ord dumbbells. The sculpture is a result of chemical reaction with the environment where the specimens were deposited. Some were transported by water courses and their original sculpture worn down. The unique glass is not homogeneous at all, but reveals a typical fluid structure. The melted material was not able to mix thoroughly and contains bubbles with a rather high vacuum inside. In fact, these bubbles with their unusual low gas pressure were an important hint for the first scientists investigating the secret of this green, mysterious stone.
Human beings became aware of this natural glass a long time ago. There were finds in the Paleolithic culture layers, for example together with the famous 29.000 years old Willendorf Venus. In some area in Bohemia there was a tradition that a young man gave his future bride a Moldavite for good luck. In 1787 J.Mayer, a professor at the University of Prague, made mention of cut Moldavites decorating walking sticks.
The precious stones gained international attention when they were sold like gemstones cut and set in gold during the Jubilee Exhibition in Prague in 1891. Their sparkling green colors, intense glassy lustre, pleasant shapes, their value as powerful stones in esoteric uses and of course their rarity have a greater appeal to collectors and jewelry enthusiasts than ever before.