Specimen #823

Name: Moldavite

Type: Mineral

Locality: Besednice, South Bohemia Region, Bohemia, Czech Republic

Favorite? N

Fluorescent? N

Size: 4.3 x 3.5 x 1.8 cm

Weight: 31

Acquired: 2008-10-06

Source: Gift from Colleen, Bought in Prague, Czech Republic

Label: Y

Comment: Moldavite is an olive-green or dull greenish vitreous substance formed by a meteorite impact. It is one kind of tektite. It was named by A. Dufrnoy from Moldauthein in Bohemia, where it occurs. It is sometimes cut and polished as an ornamental stone under the name of pseudo-chrysolite. It is also widely argued that the moldavite glass was formed 15 million years ago during the impact of a giant meteorite in present-day N�¶rdlinger Ries. Splatters of rocks that were melted by the impact cooled while they were actually airborne and most fell in central Bohemia - traversed by river Vltava (Moldau in German). As such the glass can be found in the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany and Moldova!

Minerals: Macaulayite ((Fe⁺⁺⁺,Al)₂₄Si₄O₄₃(OH)₂)

There are 2 pictures on file

M00823-01.jpg:

Moldavite,Besednice, South Bohemia Region, Bohemia, Czech Republic - 4.3 x 3.5 x 1.8 mm

M00823-02.jpg:

Moldavite, Besednice, South Bohemia Region, Bohemia, Czech Republic - 4.3 x 3.5 x 1.8 mm