Moldavite is a gem with an origin story no other stone can match. Around 15 million years ago, a huge meteorite slammed into what is now southern Germany. The impact melted surface rock and flung it hundreds of kilometres, where it cooled mid-flight into glassy green droplets. Those droplets, a type of natural glass called tektite, landed mostly in the Czech Republic, near the Moldau (Vltava) river that gives the gem its name. Its bottle-green surfaces are naturally sculpted with wrinkles and flow lines from that fiery flight.
As a natural glass, moldavite is brittle and sits around 5.5 to 6 on the Mohs scale, so it belongs in pendants and earrings rather than hard-working rings. It is worn both as raw, sculptural pieces and as faceted stones.
Clean it gently in lukewarm, soapy water and skip ultrasonic cleaners.
A word of caution when buying: moldavite is faked constantly, usually with moulded green bottle glass that looks wet, shiny and too perfect. Genuine pieces have a matte, intricately etched texture. We guarantee ours are the real thing.
Obsidian is Earth's own natural glass, and pallasite shares moldavite's outer-space backstory.
