Fakebusters: Moldavite

While I know we have covered this one before (see here and here), the fake moldavite on the market is reaching plague levels. To the untrained eye it can be incredibly hard to negotiate.

This fake is actually made from green bottle glass, and they melt it into shaped kinetic sand. This results in a rough surfaced but clear green result that resembles a piece of moldavite. They are usually too round, too perfectly shaped.

These fakes were actually listed online for over $100 apiece, which goes to prove that a higher price tag does not necessarily mean you are getting the real thing. Price may be a good guide as far as “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is”, however it clearly is not a hard and fast rule.

Real moldavite comes only from a specific region in Russia. It is formed when a meteorite hits the Earth at great speeds, melting the local sand and propelling the liquid globs into the atmosphere. This results in highly variable and often teardrop shaped specimens with a very rough surface. There is also often large pock marks.

This was a specimen we had once stocked, but it has since sold. If you are interested in getting a specimen, please get into contact with us.