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. 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. Clean it gently in lukewarm, soapy water and skip ultrasonic cleaners.
Obsidian is Earth's own natural glass, and pallasite shares moldavite's outer-space backstory.
