Posted on September 12, 2020January 20, 2022 by admin — Leave a comment

Darwinite tektite (Darwin Glass) – Part of the family with Moldavite!

What is the Darwinite tektite (Darwin Glass)?

Darwinite tektite (or Darwin Glass) is like the brother of Czech Republic’s Moldavite. It belongs to the same family as other tektites such as Moldavite, Tibetan tektite and Libyan Desert Glass. It is a natural impact glass only found in Tasmania, Australia and created by a meteorite strike around 800,000 years ago

The meteorite hit Tasmania with 20 megatons of energy (that’s 20 million tons of TNT) forming the 1.2 km diameter Darwin Crater in western Tasmania. The impact melted the surrounding Earth with the meteorite on impact and created Darwin Glass as a result. The darker varieties of Darwinite are said to contain more meteorite material than the lighter and more transparent pieces.

Darwinite comes in a range of colours including pale green, dark green, brown and black. Compared to Moldavite, it contains less silica and more magnesium and iron, making it darker in colour and less translucent than Moldavite.

The message of love from Darwinite-the stone of loving relationship

Darwinite connects with our Heart (4th), Third Eye (6th) and Crown (7th) chakras. Connecting with Darwinite’s energy can open our heart to more love and dissolve the protective amour around the heart. It can encourage us to openly engage with the world and all beings within it. The high ‘outer space’ energy of Darwinite stimulates our third eye and crown chakaras as well.

Carrying Darwinite will help us to feel more at home in the world. It sends a message that everything is love, and we should face each moment of our life with actions influenced by love.

The grounding tektite

Darwinite is known as being a grounding tektite meaning it can help to facilitate great transformation and keep us centered in the cycle of transformation. As we lose and shed the old parts of us, it reminds us that we are not losing anything. As there are always new things and opportunities that come up as a result of those changes.

As a tektite, Darwinite quickens growth, transformation, spiritual evolution and encourages an open engagement with the world and all beings. These beautiful tektites have the same high frequency energy and properties as Moldavite although are more gentle and connected with the Earth/Gaia energies. It can help us with facilitating a deeper connection with the natural environment, animals, plants and crystals. It reminds us to live in harmony with the environment and with our fellow companions.

Pairing with Moldavite

Darwinite and Moldavite synergizes with each others energy as they come from the same family of tektites or impact glass. Pairing Moldavite with Darwinite can assist with our grounding when working with the high energy of tektites without being overly grounding like some other crystals. Darwinite helps with opening our heart and embracing the cycle of change which is necessary during the journey of transformation.

Bring your Darwinite when you go for a walk through through nature and tune into the energy of the plants, animals, water and stones.

Gallery of Darwinite (Darwin Glass)

Interested in Darwinite (Darwin Glass)?

See our range of Darwin Glass here www.stonesoftransformation.com.au/product-category/crystal/darwinite-tektite/

Want more useful information?

See the guides:
Guide to Genuine and Fake Moldavite: www.stonesoftransformation.com.au/blog/fake-moldavite-guide/
The Best Guide on Spotting and Avoiding Fake Moldavite: www.stonesoftransformation.com.au/the-best-guide-on-spotting-and-avoiding-fake-moldavite/
Shapes of Moldavite: www.stonesoftransformation.com.au/blog/guide-to-the-shapes-of-moldavite/
Busting myths of Moldavite: www.stonesoftransformation.com.au/busting-some-myths-of-moldavite/
Other useful guides and blog posts: www.stonesoftransformation.com.au/blog/list-of-useful-posts/

Follow our Facebook page for updates on great information: www.facebook.com/StonesofTransformationMoldaviteStore
Customer reviews: www.stonesoftransformation.com.au/reviews/
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Posted on July 30, 2020January 24, 2022 by admin — Leave a comment

How is fake Moldavite created? Learn the signs to avoid

Have you ever wondered why there is so much fake Moldavite being sold?

Manufacturers from factories in locations such as China and India are using sneaky methods to create fake Moldavite. This article will go through some of the methods so you’ll know the signs and be able to avoid fake Moldavite. There are several production methods used including hydrofluoric acid, drilling, sculpting with a rotatory tool and mould casting.

For an accompanying guide. See “The Best Guide on Spotting and Avoiding Fake Moldavite” www.stonesoftransformation.com.au/the-best-guide-on-spotting-and-avoiding-fake-moldavite/

Method 1 – Hydrofluoric acid

A common way to sculpt green glass to depict a surface most similar to natural Moldavite is through the use of hydrofluoric acid. Acid is used to selectively dissolve parts of the glass and completely changes its appearance.

Testing of these fake Moldavite found traces of varnish and wax on the surface. These materials were used to cover parts of the green glass to produce an uneven sculpting and more variation between individual pieces of glass to avoid having identical pieces produced.

Picture: Sculpting of glass with hydrofluoric acid

Method 2 – Drilling and then acid

Evidence of drilling has been found on fake Moldavite. A rotatory jewellery tool was likely used to create holes and grooves in the green glass. Hydrofluoric would then be used to smoothen the drilled holes and grooves to disguise the work done on it.

Close inspection of these fake Moldavite under a strong magnifier found evidence of drill marks and residue of hydrofluoric acid.

Method 3 – Sculpting and then acid

A rotatory jewellery tool or similar is used to create lighter surface sculpting such as valleys and pathways on the surface. Hydrofluoric acid would then be used to smoothen the surface.

These Moldavite can look too perfect with a uniform surface sculpting.

Method 4 – Mould casting

Mould casting is casting molten glass into a mould. The molten glass will cool and a Moldavite shaped glass is produced. A grinder is used to clean the rim where the mould would have left seam marks.

The mould is can be based on a real Moldavite and can come in a variety of shapes from primary shapes (e.g. tear drops) to fragments. This fake Moldavite may look unnaturally perfect.

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Posted on June 28, 2020March 12, 2021 by admin — Leave a comment

Abrasion Damage on Moldavite

Learning how to take care of your Moldavite

This article is about abrasion damage to help you learn how to take care of your Moldavite.

What is abrasion damage?

Abrasion is one form of damage to Moldavite where the surface is scraped or worn away. Abrasion damaged can be natural in the environment over time or artificial due to poor packing and transportation.

Hardness of Moldavite compared to other crystals and minerals

A Mohs scale of hardness is a rating given for an item’s resistance to scratching or abrasion. It ranges from 1 which is very low resistance to scratching to 10 which is very high resistance to scratching. The Mohs scale is useful to understand how easily Moldavite will get damaged.

Moldavite has a Mohs scale rating of between 6.5 to 6.9 for most Moldavite (not 5.5 to 7 as some sources suggest as this range is too large). This rating of 6.5 to 6.9 is from a researcher who wrote the book “Moldavites The Czech Tektites (1994)”.

Items of a similar or higher Mohs rating to Moldavite would more easily scratch or cause abrasion damage. For example, Moldavite kept in a carry pouch with other Moldavite and Quartz crystals would cause abrasion damage and scratching to the Moldavite.

One reason why Moldavite is often nicked and chipped when mining is due to its Mohs scale and the surrounding sediments. Feldspare (Mohs 6) and Quartz (Mohs 7) are often in the surrounding sediments around Moldavite and can scratch the Moldavite when sorting through them to find Moldavite.

Below is a table with some examples of minerals and objects at each level of the Mohs scale:

Mohs scale 10 – Diamond
Mohs scale 9 – Ruby, Sapphire
Mohs scale 8 – Topaz, Cubic Zirconia
Mohs scale 7 – Quartz (Clear Quartz, Smokey Quartz, etc), Tourmaline
Mohs scale 6 – Moldavite (natural glass), Feldspar
Mohs scale 5 – Man made glass, tooth enamel
Mohs scale 4 – Fluorite
Mohs scale 3 – Pearl
Mohs scale 2 – Amber
Mohs scale 1 – Talc

Natural abrasion

Natural abrasion is caused through the natural transportation of the Moldavite over millions of years due to movement caused by gravity (e.g. Moldavite rolling down a slope) or water (e.g. pushing the Moldavite against other stones and transporting them). The sediments surrounding the Moldavite is generally gravel, sand and rocks which includes quartz, quartzite, feldspar, granite and gneiss. Some of these sediments have a higher hardness of the Mohs scale meaning that that would damage Moldavite if rubbed against.

Artificial abrasion

Poor handling, storage, packing and transport of Moldavite can cause abrasion damage to Moldavite. For example, if Moldavite is not packed and transported properly, every movement during transport would cause each of the Moldavite pieces to rub against each other. Over time, this causes damage to the Moldavite’s surface and it will become worn out due to the rubbing.

Unfortunately, abrasion damage happens due to a lack of education on storing or transporting Moldavite, corner cutting to save costs with packing and transport, or a lack of respect for Moldavite (e.g. not caring if they get damaged). Moldavite should always be wrapped individually in plastic or tissue when being transported.

Picture: Example of Moldavite packed loosely in a bag for transporting causing significant abrasion damage

What does abrasion damage look like?

The surface of Moldavite is usually sculpted with fine lines, grooves, channels, pits and sometimes sharp edges. Abrasion damaged the surface of Moldavite to be more blunt, worn out rounded and matte. The surface of the Moldavite is literally scratched off and the overall size of the Moldavite will decrease as it gets destroyed. There are some example pictures below.

Different stages of abrasion

Early stages of abrasion damage would look like some of the natural surface shine/gloss has been rubbed off and there are some matte looking parts. There may be an inconsistent surface appearance with some parts which look more matte and some parts which look more glossy. The Moldavite may start to lose some of its edges and look more rounded.

Intermediate to advanced stages of abrasion damage would look like an overall rounding of the shape and a scratched or worn out look on the surface. There would be no pointy edges remaining and the shape starts to become oval. The surface becomes nontransparent due to the matte surface. If the cause of the abrasion damage is allowed to continue, the Moldavite would eventually be completed destroyed.

Simulated abrasion damage of Moldavite

The damage of abrasion on Moldavite was simulated in a lab to show the progressive damage to Moldavite. Moldavite was rotated in a barrel with sediments similar to what is usually surrounding Moldavite in the ground which is gravel, sand and rocks which includes quartz, quartzite, feldspar, granite and gneiss. You can see how the surface gloss changes as the surface is eroded, the edges are destroyed and the shape is worn down to an oval.

Picture: Example 1 of abrasion damage

Picture: Example 2 of abrasion damage

Preventing abrasion damage

Preventing abrasion damage is easy with the right care and handling. When transporting Moldavite, you should wrap each Moldavite individually either in tissue or in a plastic zip lock bag to prevent rubbing. Additionally, if you carry Moldavite it should be in a pouch by itself and not where it rubs against other harder crystals or rocks.

When storing Moldavite, arrange your Moldavite so there is a small gap between it and any other Moldavite, crystals or rocks to prevent accidental rubbing.

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Posted on March 21, 2020January 24, 2022 by admin — Leave a comment

The history and future of fake Moldavite

The History of Fake Moldavite

Moldavite started growing in fame and popularity around the time of the Jubilee Country Exhibition in Prague in 1891. In the exhibition there were several fine jewellery pieces which featured beautiful faceted Moldavite along with river peals from the Vltava and Otava rivers. Unfortunately, producers started replacing faceted Moldavite with bottle glass in the 1890s causing the fame of faceted Moldavite to disappear. The fakes were nicknamed the “bottle stone”.

Interesting fact! Five sets of Moldavite jewellery (bracelet, brooch and earings) from the Museum of Decorated Arts in Prague were studied. Only one set had real Moldavite! The remainder were made from bottle glass!

Large amounts of fake or imitation natural Moldavite first started to appear around the market in 2010. They were seen at a mineral show in Hong Kong, then traded to other countries including Minas Gerais in Brasil, Hanoi in Vietnam and Tucson in the USA. A large batch of imitation Moldavite entered the market in 2013 via a mineral show in Hong Kong; with tens of kilograms with surface sculpting almost visually identical to the natural. The fake Moldavite sold often had unusually high lustre or surface shine compared to real Moldavite. Although Moldavite can often display a high sign it is just one of the signs than can help spot a fake.

Fake Moldavite selling in France

The present situation of fakes

The rising popularity and price of Moldavite has attracted more fakes to be produced and is a wide spread problem. The manufacturing of fake Moldavite has spread from China and currently is produced and sold in a variety of countries including China, India, Thailand and Vietnam.

The variety and sophistication of the fake has grown to include a variety of shapes from spheres, beads, fake primary shapes and even small fragments. The fake Moldavite is widely sold on the internet via shopping and social media sites including eBay, Etsy, Aliexpress, Wish and Instagram. Fake Moldavite has made its way into online and physical crystal shops which are often owned by honest sellers. These sellers may not be familiar with Moldavite and have unintentionally purchased fake Moldavite to sell to their customers.

Example of fake Moldavite selling in shops

For more examples of real and fake Moldavite, see www.stonesoftransformation.com.au/blog/fake-moldavite-guide/

The Future

Moldavite has continued grow in fame and popularity reaching new peaks every year. The natural form of Moldavite is now more popular with its unique and beautiful surface sculpting being appreciated by customers. The mysterious origins and stories of transformation surrounding Moldavite is contributing greatly to its increased popularity.

The quality of fake Moldavite is improving with improved technology and methods of imitating Moldavite.

Natural Moldavite

Improvements are continuously being made to the way synthetic natural Moldavite is being created. The current trend when producing fake Moldavite is the use of a mould created from a real Moldavite and to polish off any of the seams. Hydrofluoric acid can also be used to sculpt areas of the glass to give it a natural look.

Manufacturers are learning how to copy individual elements of genuine natural Moldavite such as the surface sculpting, colour, transparency, shapes using moulds and giving it an opaque appearance. Fake Moldavite will slowly keep on becoming more realistic as manufacturers use what they have learnt to improve their production methods to produce fakes with more of the characteristics of real Moldavite.

Faceted and polished Moldavite

Lechatelierite is long pieces of quartz glass that looks like thin wavy lines. It is only be visible in genuine polished or faceted Moldavite.

It is possible to produce fluvial flow in normal glass balls. The fluvial flow may look similar to appearances of lechatelierite in genuine Moldavite although it still looks noticeably different. Lechatelierite in real Moldavite always copies the fluvial flow of Moldavite and flows in one direction. While the fluvial flow in fake Moldavite may swirl or flow in multiple directions.

With the technology available today and in the future, adjustments can be made to the heat, pressure, temperature, techniques and materials used to create fake Moldavite. Manufacturers are always trying to make fake Moldavite with more realistic appearances with stretched/elongated bubbles and flow lines similar to lechatelierite into fake faceted Moldavite.

Too see what real lechatelierite looks like, see www.stonesoftransformation.com.au/blog/fake-moldavite-guide/

Normal glass balls showing fluvial manufactured in the last decade

Faceted and polished Moldavite

Avoiding fake Moldavite

Education is the best way to avoid the spread of fake Moldavite.

Key tips to avoid fake Moldavite are:

Learn about the characteristics and see sample pictures of real Moldavite. See www.stonesoftransformation.com.au/blog/fake-moldavite-guide/ for tips.
Avoid buying Moldavite being sent from China, India, Vietnam and Thailand. These countries do import real Moldavite but almost always export fake Moldavite.
Look for a crystal shop or Moldavite specialist that has a history of working with real Moldavite. A general crystal shop may have the specialist knowledge to identify fake Moldavite.

Join in the fight against fake Moldavite

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Posted on March 1, 2020July 27, 2022 by admin — 1 Comment

Identifying Fake Moldavite

There are several ways to scientifically identify real and fake Moldavite. Unfortunately, many of these approaches require advanced scientific instruments.

Luckily, there is an easy way to identify real Moldavite which you can find below.

We firmly believe in fighting against fake Moldavite!

Method 1 – UV radiation

Natural Moldavite is inert with both short and long wave UV radiation. While fake Moldavite shows weak whitish florescence in short wave radiation.

Both real and fake Moldavite are inert with long wave UV radition.

Method 2 – Refractive index

The Refractive index is an reliable test but is difficult to use on natural/raw Moldavite as the surface is uneven.

The refractive index on real natural Moldavite is 1.490 (1.480 to 1.510) compared to fake Moldavite of 1.520

Method 3 – Raman spectrometry

Raman spectrometry results show that real Moldavite has a peak of around 460 cm-1 compared to fake Moldavite which has two peaks of around 560 cm-1 and 1100 cm-1.

Method 4 – Lechatelierite

Lechatelierite can be visible to the naked eye in faceted or polished Moldavite. It is rarely seen with natural Moldavite due to the sculpting but lechatelierite can sometimes rise from the surface as a tiny crystal point. You will need a tool with extreme magnification such as a microscope.

An important feature of lechatelierite in real Moldavite is that it always copies the fluvial flow of Moldavite and flows in one direction. While the fluvial flow in fake Moldavite may swirl or flow in multiple directions, or there may not be any fluvial flow evidence such as in bottle glass.

*Fluvial flow in real facated Moldavite*

Method 5 – Experience and seeking experts with experience

Experts who have dealt with thousands of Moldavites from dozens of different localities have the experience and knowledge to identify what is genuine Moldavite.
1. Join a Moldavite Facebook Group and post your pictures for feedback from its members. You will need to take pictures from several angles of your Moldavite in natural light and with a back light shining through.
2. Get educated yourself and learn what real Moldavite looks like. Find several online shops that sell real Moldavite to get an understanding on what it should like. Do not use market places like eBay, Etsy, Aliexpress to get educated as these have fake Moldavite.
3. Be familiar with what fake Moldavite looks like, there are over 100 pictures of fake Moldavite here www.stonesoftransformation.com.au/blog/fake-moldavite-guide/

What is the best way?

The accessible way to tell if a Moldavite is genuine is method 5: to build up your own knowledge and to seek the experience of an expert in Moldavite.

While the most effective and easiest way to identify real facated Moldavite is lechatelierite (method 4)

Ineffective methods

Ineffective method 1 – Polariscope to measure inner tension

A polariscope can be used to detect inner tension caused by the contraction of cooling glass. Primary shape Moldavite (e.g. teardrops, disks, dumbbells) have a high inner tension which can be seen using a polariscope. However, the same shape fake Moldavite will show the same internal tension.

Natural Moldavite fragments often do not have inner tension that is picked up with a polariscope and the same applies to fake Moldavite fragments.

Ineffective method 2 – Feeling the energy

Believing that the energy of Moldavite can be felt is not a reliable method due to a placebo effect where our brain believes and creates an experience where we can feel some energy. The placebo effect has been evidenced many times with fake Moldavite when people are showing their fakes online or in shops proclaiming they can feel the buzzing energy from the fake Moldavite.

Sometimes what we are feeling is simply an increased awareness of our body. If you put your attention on your nose, your left hand, or your right foot you may start feeling a sensation like a tingling or pulsing there. This feeling was always there but we have just put our attention and presence on it. For example, if I hold a fake Moldavite in my left hand I might feeling a buzzing in my hand, although this may be due to my whole focus and attention put on feeling my left hand.

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Posted on November 12, 2019February 28, 2022 by admin — 1 Comment

Moldavite Snowflakes – The Naturally White Moldavite

About green and naturally white Moldavite-Moldavite snowflakes

A common misconception is that Moldavite only has a green appearance as many stones are held up against the light when taking pictures or are thin so allow the green colour to show naturally. This is no surprise as at least 99.99% of all Moldavite is green and is supplied to shops. Thicker Moldavite stones can look black in natural light through but as soon as you shine a light through a beautiful green colour will show.

Moldavite can have a naturally white appearance when they form in special conditions over millions of years. The surface is white but the Moldavite is still green underneath. You are unlikely to see these beautiful white Moldavite selling in most shops as they are rare and very few in number compared to green Moldavite.

Moldavite snowflakes are one of the most unique and famous appearances for Moldavite. They get their nickname from their white frosted appearance which can range from a very light white frosting to a very thick and deep white surface. Other names include Angel Feathers, white Moldavite, frosted Moldavite and Brusna snowflakes (only if it is from the locality of Brusná).

Snowflakes or angel feathers?

White Moldavite look like snowflakes that have fallen from the sky. Some of them have also been called angel feathers as their pure white appearance makes them look like they were feathers that had dropped from heaven by angels! The appearance is beautiful and magical especially close up. The popularity and price of this type of Moldavite have been growing due to their beautiful appearance and rarity. This also makes them a worthwhile addition to any Moldavite collection.

What do snowflakes or angel feathers look like?

Snowflakes have a white frosted appearance which can range from a very light white frosting to a very thick and deep white surface. The white frosting can either be small patches on the green surface or cover the whole surface.

The colour of the frosting is usually white although it can be different shades of white all the way to a light grey colour too. The surface of snowflakes is usually matte and velvety due to the glass corrosion.

Due to the glass corrosion on the outer surface and depending on the thickness of the white surface Moldavite snowflakes are often not very translucent so will not allow much light to pass through it.Moldavite Snowflakes are best enjoyed with natural light.

Where are snowflakes or angel feathers found?

There are only a very small number of localities where these special Moldavites are found. It includes Dříteň, Brusná, Bartochov, Olešník, Krasejovka and Jancov. Most of the white Moldavite found has been from Brusná. Unfortunately, the few locations they were found in were mined out long ago and you can only buy these special Moldvite from existing collections.

Current pictures of the famous but now mined out field of Brusná

How are snowflakes or angel feathers formed?

Snowflakes or angel feathers only form in a strong alkaline environment when the surrounding sediments corrodes the other layer of glass and leaves behind a white matte surface. Additionally, the area where they are formed cannot have ground water present as water would slowly erode away the outer white surface. Within a locality, only a small portion of Moldavite found would have a white surface so they are much harder to find.

In contrast, another famous locality Besednice had surrounding sediments that were acidic and with more underground water. Different sediment and water conditions formed very different appearances of Moldavite. Isn’t that interesting how changes in conditions form such different Moldavite?

How common are snowflakes or angel feathers?

Each locality where these special Moldavite were found only had a small portion of their Moldavite with the white surface. For example, it is estimated on the mined out Brusná field that only around 20-30% of Moldavites were white. This portion of white Moldavites is much smaller in other fields.

Sadly, white Moldavites were not valued when first discovered as they looked different compared to the typical green Moldavites. This led to many miners destroying many of the white Moldavite by melting away the surface with a strong acid in order to sell them as green Moldavites. However, Moldavite snowflakes are now appreciated for their beauty and rarity and it has become one of the most sought after types of Moldavite.

If you look at how rare snowflakes or angel feathers are compared to all Moldavite, since snowflakes or angel feathers are only found in a very small number of locations and with very strict conditions in how they form. It is estimated that they form less than 0.01% of all Moldavites so they are rare when you compare them to the total number of Moldavites.

Caution with snowflakes or angel feather Moldavite

Moldavite snowflakes or angel feathers can sometimes be mistaken as fakes by people unfamiliar with them because they do not have a typical green appearance. They are rare so they typically do not sell in any shops or are only sold in very limited quantities. However, it is important to know that Moldavite does not come in any other colours such as blue, yellow, pink or red (see www.stonesoftransformation.com.au/blog/fake-moldavite-guide/)

Sometimes sellers may disguise their Moldavite as snowflakes or angel feathers by not cleaning off all the clay it was found in to give it the surface a white appearance. Clay can be washed off with hot water and soft tooth brush although the white surface etching of true snowflakes can only be removed with a strong acid, however acid would burn away the outer layer of any glass or Moldavite.

Gallery

Moldavite snowflake from Bartochov

Moldavite snowflake from Jancov

Moldavite snowflake from Brusná

Moldavite snowflake from Dříteň

Moldavite snowflake from Brusná v pole and Bartochov

Moldavite snowflake from Olešník

Macro pictures of Moldavite snowflakes

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Posted on October 20, 2019January 20, 2022 by admin — Leave a comment

South Bohemia – The Home to 99% of Moldavite

About South Bohemia, Czech Republic

Have you ever wondered when all your Moldavite comes from? It is most likely from the South Bohemia region of Czech republic which is where more than 99% of all Moldavite has been found including all of the most famous localities. For example, the town of Besednice is in South Bohemia where the famous Besednice Moldavite was mined.

South Bohemia has a total area 10,056 km² which is only 12.8% of the total area of the Czech Republic. That means most of the Moldavite is found in an area which is under 13% of the Czech Republic!

The area of South Bohemia is marked in red which is only 12.8% of Czech Republic

The population within South Bohemia’s is 642,133 and with only 64 people per 1 km² as of 2019. This means the region has the lowest population density in the whole country. There are 52 towns within South Bohemia with 64.2% of region’s population living in towns or cities. The architecture within some towns in South Bohemia is also famous and incredibly beautiful.

Picture of Český Krumlov – a beautiful town in South Bohemia

The South Bohemia region is located in the drainage basin of Vltava river which is the longest river in the Czech Republic. Moldavite is called “Vltavín” in the Czech language which is named after the Vltava river. If you visit the Czech Republic, it would be good to learn the local name of Vltavín.

South Bohemia is famous for its countless ponds with more than seven thousand ponds across the region and beautiful forests. The landscape is quite magical.

Key Moldavite areas and localities

The map shows the location of the Ries impact creator and the key areas that Moldavite has been found in. This includes South Bohemia area (Czech Republic), Moravian area (Czech Republic), Lusatian area (Germany) and Austrian area (Austria). A very small amount of Moldavite has been found in Poland too. This map gives you an idea of where the South Bohemia area is.

Central Europe map showing Moldavite strewn fields. Source: Trnka, M. and S. Houzar (2002). “Moldavites: a review.” Bulletin of Geosciences 77(4): 283-302.

Key locations of Moldavite in the Czech republic

The South Bohemian region is comprised of many Moldavite localities. You might recognise some of the names below.

Within South Bohemia, there are numerous fields where Moldavite is found including Brusná, Dolní Chrášťany, Jankov, Kvítkovice, Habří, Lipí, Slavče (near České Budějovice), Vrábče (the locality of Nová Hospoda), Bukovec, Krasejovka, Besednice, Slavče (near Trhové Sviny), Záluží, Žitná, Třebanice, Lhenice, Koroseky, Vrábče, Záhorčice, Holkov, Ločenice, Chlum nad Malší, Nesměň, Dobrkovská Lhotka and Zatáčka (near the village of Dobrkovská Lhotka). There are many other fields named after the local town or area that the Moldavite was found in.

Do you recognise some of the names of the Moldavite localities? Try to find the famous location of Besednice on the map below!

Southern Bohemia map showing key moldavite localities
Trnka, M. and S. Houzar (2002). “Moldavites: a review.” Bulletin of Geosciences 77(4): 283-302.

How could anyone resist such a beautiful place?

Town of Písek in South Bohemia

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Posted on January 15, 2019August 2, 2024 by admin — 5 Comments

What is Moldavite? How it was formed and about the shapes.

Moldavite (called vltavín by the locals in the Czech Republic) is a natural impact glass called a tektite.

It was formed when a meteor hit Germany which formed the Ries crater and produced splash form and Muong Nong type Moldavite. For more information on the impact area, see www.stonesoftransformation.com.au/where-is-moldavite-found

The meteorite which created the Ries crater hit Earth at the velocity of 20km per second (i.e. the metorite traveled 20km every second!). The impact vaporized and melted the surrounding rock and ground.

Roughly 10^6 metric tons of Moldavite was formed approximately 14.8 million years go, with an estimated 1% of the original matter surviving to this present day. The majority of Moldavite has been eroded over millions of years and become part of the Earth.

To be more specific, Moldavite is a splash form tektite which are usually drop shaped(teardrop).

Imagine millions of molten drops of Moldavite flying through the sky like large rain drops after the meteor impact!

The majority of the drop shape Moldavite shattered on impact when landing at high speeds which have created other primary shapes such as disks and many other non-primary smaller shaped fragments. Moldavite has been further shaped by over 14 millions years of erosion with water and chemicals in the ground meaning each piece is as unique as a finger print.

Primary Shape Moldavites

Primary shapes includes drops (teardrops), discs, elliptical and dumbbells.

Primary shape Moldavite are rarer and form less than 1% of all pieces found.

Drop (tear drop) shape

Drop shape Moldavite – closest to the original splash form shape around 15 million years ago

Disk shape

Disk shape Moldavite with back light

Elliptical (oval) shape

Elliptical shape or oval shape Moldavite

Dumbbell shape

Dumbbells are the rarest of all primary form shapes. They are narrower in the middle and thicker on the sides.

Non-Primary Shapes

Non-primary shapes are the majority of Moldavite found. When Moldavite flew through the sky then hit the ground at thousands of kilometers per second, the majority of the splash form drops shattered into small fragments. The fragments have been further eroded over millions of years to form unique shapes.

Moldavite which is a smaller fragment of a larger piece does not effect the energy of the piece as they were all created with the same energy during an explosive impact.

Examples of non-primary shapes – fragments

Other types of Moldavite formation

Muong Nong type Moldavite

Muong Nong type Moldavite are layered tektites without internal stress usually characterised with a higher content of internal bubbles and foamy lechatelierite. This type of Moldavite is not common and often not as transparent or attractive.

All Moldavite is great!

The shape of Moldavite was influenced by various factors over the last 14.8 million years including mechanical (breaking, erosion, abrasion) and chemical which has caused surface sculpting. Everyone has their own preference of the shape or sculpting they like most. There is no one best shape or sculpting, but there are some which are rarer which mean higher prices. There are all kinds of sizes and shapes of Moldavite making it affordable for anyone interested.

What is the Darwinite tektite (Darwin Glass)?

The message of love from Darwinite-the stone of loving relationship

The grounding tektite

Pairing with Moldavite

Gallery of Darwinite (Darwin Glass)

Interested in Darwinite (Darwin Glass)?

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Method 1 – Hydrofluoric acid

Method 2 – Drilling and then acid

Method 3 – Sculpting and then acid

Method 4 – Mould casting

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Learning how to take care of your Moldavite

What is abrasion damage?

Hardness of Moldavite compared to other crystals and minerals

Natural abrasion

Artificial abrasion

What does abrasion damage look like?

Different stages of abrasion

Simulated abrasion damage of Moldavite

Preventing abrasion damage

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The History of Fake Moldavite

Fake Moldavite selling in France

The present situation of fakes

Example of fake Moldavite selling in shops

The Future

Natural Moldavite

Faceted and polished Moldavite

Normal glass balls showing fluvial manufactured in the last decade

Faceted and polished Moldavite

Avoiding fake Moldavite

Join in the fight against fake Moldavite

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Method 1 – UV radiation

Method 2 – Refractive index

Method 3 – Raman spectrometry

Method 4 – Lechatelierite

Method 5 – Experience and seeking experts with experience

What is the best way?

Ineffective methods

Ineffective method 1 – Polariscope to measure inner tension

Ineffective method 2 – Feeling the energy

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About green and naturally white Moldavite-Moldavite snowflakes

Snowflakes or angel feathers?

What do snowflakes or angel feathers look like?

Where are snowflakes or angel feathers found?

Current pictures of the famous but now mined out field of Brusná

How are snowflakes or angel feathers formed?

How common are snowflakes or angel feathers?

Caution with snowflakes or angel feather Moldavite

Gallery

Moldavite snowflake from Bartochov

Moldavite snowflake from Jancov

Moldavite snowflake from Brusná

Moldavite snowflake from Dříteň

Moldavite snowflake from Brusná v pole and Bartochov

Moldavite snowflake from Olešník

Macro pictures of Moldavite snowflakes

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About South Bohemia, Czech Republic

Key Moldavite areas and localities

Key locations of Moldavite in the Czech republic

How could anyone resist such a beautiful place?

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Primary Shape Moldavites

Drop (tear drop) shape

Disk shape

Elliptical (oval) shape

Dumbbell shape

Non-Primary Shapes

Other types of Moldavite formation

Muong Nong type Moldavite

All Moldavite is great!

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