Born from Impact
14.7 million years ago, a meteorite struck Earth and created something unprecedented — a gemstone forged by cosmic violence, found in only one place on the planet, irreplaceable forever.
Explore Moldavite
The complete story of Earth's most improbable gemstone — from cosmic origin to modern rarity.
The Impact
A 1km asteroid struck Bavaria at 72,000 km/h. The explosion launched molten glass into the stratosphere. It rained across Bohemia as moldavite.
Read more →Geographic Origin
Found only in a 20,000 km² strewn field across the Czech Republic. Besednice, Chlum, and Slavče are the legendary sites.
Read more →Rarity & Value
~275 tonnes created, ever. Surface deposits nearly exhausted. Cannot be synthesized. When it's gone, it's gone forever.
Read more →The ET Gemstone
The only gemstone whose formation required an extraterrestrial event. Its composition has no terrestrial equivalent.
Read more →History & Culture
From Paleolithic talismans to medieval Grail legends to 21st century collectors — 25,000 years of human fascination.
Read more →Real vs. Fake
Counterfeit moldavite floods the market. Learn to identify genuine specimens through texture, bubbles, and lab verification.
Read more →Quick Reference
| Property | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Tektite (natural impact glass) |
| Composition | SiO₂ ~80% + Al₂O₃, FeO, MgO, CaO, K₂O |
| Color | Forest green to olive green |
| Hardness | 5.5–7 Mohs |
| Transparency | Translucent to transparent |
| Age | 14.7 ± 0.2 million years (Ar-Ar dating) |
| Origin Event | Nördlinger Ries meteorite impact, Bavaria |
| Found In | Czech Republic (Bohemia & Moravia) |
| Total Supply | ~275 tonnes (fixed, non-renewable) |
| Status | Only known extraterrestrial gemstone |