Tectita Vidrio de impacto
Tectita is a mineral with formula Vidrio natural silíceo formado por impacto, in the Mineraloide group. This specimen comes from Phú Ninh District, Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam and joined the Terrium collection in 2025.
Description
Black fragment, very light, with dull vitreous lustre. Surface covered with pits and well-defined cavities; pronounced regmaglypts. One end shows a fresher, brighter conchoidal fracture contrasting with the matt outer skin.
About Tectita
It is not a mineral but an impact glass with no crystalline structure. It is recognised by its low density, conchoidal fracture, and surface sculpturing reminiscent of regmaglypts, though not true regmaglypts. Impact glasses form when terrestrial siliceous materials melt and are ejected during meteorite impacts. They are typically spread across wide strewn fields around ancient craters.
About the locality
Tektite from the Indochinite strewn field. Specimens from Phú Ninh commonly show more pronounced channels and micro-grooves than those from Cambodia or Thailand, with surfaces polished by atmospheric re-entry and deep regmaglypts. No associated crater has been identified with certainty; the field is attributed to a large Early Pleistocene impact.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0493
- Internal reference
- T0270
- Composition
- Vidrio natural silíceo formado por impacto
- Name
- Tectita
- Variety
- Vidrio de impacto
- Group
- Mineraloide
- Category
- Estélites
- District / Municipality
- Phú Ninh District
- Province
- Quảng Nam Province
- Country
- Vietnam
- Size (cm)
- 3 x 1.5 x 0.5
- Weight
- 7.1 g
- Acquired
- 2025
- Etymology
- From the Greek "tektos", "melted" or "fused", referring to its origin as rock melted by meteorite impact.
- Quality
- Buena
- Value trend
- Estable