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Locations: |
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Australia, Austria, China, Czech
Republic, Germany, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam |
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| Colors
Found: |
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| Family: |
Tektite |
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Hardness: |
5.50 - 6.50 |
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Refractive Index: |
1.48 - 1.50 |
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Relative Density: |
5.50
- 6.50 |
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We are not alone! Since the beginning of time the curiosity of
humankind has been aroused by the descent of “shooting stars” or
meteorites into our world. So catch a falling star as we discover the
mystery behind this extraterrestrial gemstone…
Tektite comes from the Greek word “tektos” meaning molten and was the
name given by Edward Suess who was born in London in 1831. He was a
highly regarded professor at the University of Vienna, a geologist and
a politician in the Austrian government.
A meteor is a small particle from space that appears as a bright light
that completely burns up before it hits the ground. However, a
meteorite is a meteor that is large enough to reach the ground,
without burning up completely. Frequently exploding on impact,
throwing pieces of rare, and highly sought after meteorite debris over
a large area, these incredibly scarce and collectable gems are the
perfect gift for anyone fascinated by outer space.
Collectively known as Tektites, they are assigned specific names based
on their location. For example, Moldavites, named after the river
Moldu in the Czech Republic are found in this country as well as
Austria and Germany, Australites are from Australia, Philippinites are
from the Philippines and Southern China, Malaysianites are from
Malaysia and Indochinites are from Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), China,
Laos and Vietnam.
Considered to be gemstones from space, Tektites are fragments of glass
that are formed from meteorite impacts with our planet.
Scientists believe that Tektite's origin is the result of meteorite
impact on either terrestrial or lunar rocks. The Tektites are formed
when molten rock, created by the meteorite's hyper-velocity impact,
fly through the air hardening into natural glass with aerodynamic
forms and surface features.
Some Tektites are smooth but others have rough, strongly eroded
surfaces. Most Tektites are jet black but the Moldavites are dark to
bottle green and are most suitable for faceting.
Tektites look similar to Obsidian, which is a result of volcanic lava
coming in contact with water, but can be differentiated by their color
and chemical composition.
Tektites and associated impact melted rock are found in only a few
regions on earth (called Tektite strewn fields) and are, in most
cases, associated with young impact craters on or near land.
Tektites come in two forms. The more common “splash form” Tektites
have rounded aerodynamic shapes such as spheres,
tear-drops, dumbbells
and disks when they are well-preserved.
The second variety call “layered” Tektites are found in abundance only
in Southeast Asia. They have blocky, fragmental shapes and commonly
display compositional layering and variations in bubble content. Some
larger pieces have a surface reminiscent of lava or “bread crust” lava
bombs.
There are far fewer Tektite localities on earth than there are impact
craters. This is because Tektites, being made entirely of glass, erode
slowly over time when exposed to the elements. Therefore, Tektites are
only preserved in abundance from large young impact events.
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