Moldavite from Besednice, Bohemia

Moldavite is an olive-green or dull greenish vitreous substance formed by a meteorite impact. 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. Its bottle glass color led to its being commonly called Boute-illenstein, and at one time it was regarded as an artificial product, but this view is opposed to the fact that no remains of glassworks are found in the neighborhood of its occurrence, moreover pieces of the substance are widely distributed in Tertiary and early Pleistocene deposits in Bohemia and Moravia. For a, long time it was generally believed to be a variety of obsidian, but its difficult fusibility and its chemical composition are rather against its volcanic origin. Dr. F.E. Suess pointed out that the nodules or small masses of moldavite presented curious pittings and wrinkles on the surface, which could not be due to the action of water, but resembled the characteristic markings on many meteorites. Boldly attributing the material to a cosmic origin, he regarded moldavite as a special type of meteorite for which he proposed the name of tectite. To this type are also referred the so-called obsidian bombs and buttons from Australia and Tasmania, known sometimes as australite, and called by R.H. Walcott obsidianites. Similar bodies have been found in Malaysia and have been termed billitonite, from the isle of Belitung where they occur in tin-bearing gravels. Usually they are flat, rounded or ellipsoidal bodies, sometimes surrounded by an equatorial girdle or rim, and often with a brilliant black superficial luster, as though varnished. Moldavite has been reported also from Skåneland in Sweden. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x717, 85 KB) Description: Moldavite from Besednice, Bohemia, Czech Republic. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x717, 85 KB) Description: Moldavite from Besednice, Bohemia, Czech Republic. ... Vitreous refers to a material in a glassy state. ... A meteorite is a small extraterrestrial body that impacts the Earths surface. ... Location of Týn nad Vltavou in the Czech Republic Týn nad Vltavou is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. ... Bohemia This article is about the historical region in central Europe; for other uses, see Bohemia (disambiguation). ... Olivine The mineral olivine is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 in which the ratio of magnesium and iron varies between the two endmembers of the series: forsterite (Mg-rich) and fayalite (Fe-rich). ... This article refers to the material. ... The Tertiary period was previously one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, from the end of the Cretaceous period about 65. ... The Pleistocene Epoch is part of the geologic timescale. ... Moravia in relation to the current kraje of the Czech Republic Moravia (Czech and Slovak: Morava, German: Mähren, Polish: Morawy, Hungarian: Morvaország) is an historical region in the east of the Czech Republic. ... Obsidian from Lake County, Oregon Top stone is obsidian, below that is pumice and in lower right hand is rhyolite (light color) Obsidian is a type of naturally occurring glass, produced from volcanoes when a fluid felsic lava cools rapidly and freezes without sufficient time for crystal growth, for example... This article is about volcanoes in geology. ... A nodule describes an aggregation of similar cells or particles in a number of scientific fields: In medicine it refers to a small aggregation of cells. ... A meteorite is a small extraterrestrial body that impacts the Earths surface. ... This article may be confusing for some readers, and should be edited to enhance clarity. ... A lava bomb is a globule of molten rock (tephra) larger than 2. ... Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: The Apple Isle Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ... Belitung, formerly known as Billiton, is an island on the east coast of Sumatra, Indonesia in the Java Sea. ... General Name, Symbol, Number tin, Sn, 50 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 5, p Appearance silvery lustrous gray Atomic mass 118. ... Gravel being unloaded from a barge Gravel is rock that is of a certain size range. ... Ellipsoidal, or Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlight (ERS), is the name for a type of theatrical light, getting the name from the ellipsoidal reflector used to intensify the light of a back-loading lamp through the barrel and lens. ... The equator is an imaginary circle drawn around a planet (or other astronomical object) at a distance halfway between the poles. ... For the file system called Lustre, see Lustre (file system) Lustre (American English: luster) is a description of the way light interacts with the surface of a crystal, rock or mineral. ... Varnish is a finish applied to wood or other surfaces in order to provide a clear, hard, durable, protective finish. ... SkÃ¥neland or, more properly, SkÃ¥nelandskapen (sometimes the Latin names terra Scania or terra Scaniæ are used) is a denomination for the area once making up the eastern part of Denmark, which was permanently ceded to Sweden under the Treaty of Roskilde (1658). ...

External links

• Moldavite at yourgemologist.com

This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, which is in the public domain. Supporters contend that the Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica (1910-1911) represents the sum of human knowledge at the beginning of the 20th century; indeed, it was advertised as such. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...