Tectita Moldavita
Tectita is a mineral with formula SiO₂, in the Tectitas group. This specimen comes from Besednice moldavite occurrences, Besednice, Český Krumlov District, Bohemia, República Checa and joined the Terrium collection in 2025.
Description
Lanceolate, tear-shaped body. Light bottle-green, soda-bottle tone. An excellent undamaged drop. Narrow, elongate fragment with a lanceolate profile. Strongly sculptured surface with sharp ridges, deep relief and irregular edges. Good transparency when backlit and a crisp aspect, minimally abraded.
About Tectita
Moldavite is known as "the gem that fell to Earth": it is a natural glass formed by a meteorite impact 14.7–15 million years ago in the Ries crater area (Germany). The melt was ejected towards Bohemia and Moravia, cooled in air and fell as drops and jets. Good material—such as this—is scarce and disappears quickly, so it is seldom seen in collections.
About the locality
Besednice is one of the most celebrated moldavite occurrences, now exhausted and protected; source of the most sculptural pieces in European collecting.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0292
- Composition
- SiO₂
- Name
- Tectita
- Variety
- Moldavita
- Group
- Tectitas
- Category
- Estélites
- Mine
- Besednice moldavite occurrences
- District / Municipality
- Besednice
- Province
- Český Krumlov District
- Region
- Bohemia
- Country
- República Checa
- Size (cm)
- 4 x 1 x 0.5
- Weight
- 1.96 g
- Acquired
- 2025
- Etymology
- Moldavite, after the river Moldau (Vltava) in Bohemia, near where the first specimens were recognised.
- Quality
- Top
- Value trend
- Al alza
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