On Offer: Faceted Moldavite Glass set in Sterling Silver Ring

Ring Size: 5.25

Dimensions of the faceted Moldavite center piece: approximately 7.8mm x 5.8mm

Type: Tektite

Origin: Czechoslovakia Republic

Official name: Moldavite

What you get: Faceted Moldavite Impact Glass set in a Sterling Silver ring as shown, Membrane Storage/Display Box, and Certificate of Authenticity

I offer a 100% no questions asked 30 day .

Moldavite
From Wikipedia:

Moldavite
Moldavite from Besednice, Bohemia, Czech Republic
GeneralCategoryGlassFormula
(repeating unit)SiO 2(+Al 2O 3)Crystal systemAmorphousIdentificationColorMossy greenMohs scalehardness5.5LusterVitreousDiaphaneityOpaque, translucent, transparentSpecific gravity2.32 to 2.38Optical propertiesIsotropicRefractive index1.48 to 1.54BirefringenceNonePleochroismAbsentDispersionNoneReferences[1]

Moldavite (Czech: Vltav n) is an olive-green or dull greenish vitreous substance possibly formed by a meteorite impact in southern Germany (N rdlinger Ries), [2] which would make it one kind of tektite. They were introduced to the scientific public for the first time in 1786 as chrysolites from T n nad Vltavou in a lecture by professor Josef Mayer of Prague University, read at a meeting of the Bohemian Scientific Society (Mayer 1788). Zippe (1836) first used the term moldavite derived from the town of Moldauthein (Czech: T n nad Vltavou) - now in Bohemia (the Czech Republic), from where the first described pieces came.

Origin

Moldavites bottle-green glass colour led to its being commonly called Bouteillen-stein, 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 neighbourhood of its occurrence; moreover, pieces of the substance are widely distributed in Middle to Upper Miocene and younger fluvial

In 1900, F. E. Suess pointed out that the gravel-size moldavites exhibited 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 moldavites as a special type of meteorite for which he proposed the name of tektite. However, for a long time, it was generally believed to be a variety of obsidian. Because of their difficult fusibility, extremely low water content, and its chemical composition, the current overwhelming consensus among earth scientists is that moldavites were formed about 14.7 million years ago during the impact of a giant meteorite in present-day N rdlinger Ries. Splatters of material that was melted by the impact cooled while they were actually airborne and most fell in Bohemia. Currently, moldavites have been found in an area that includes southern Bohemia, western Moravia, the Cheb Basin (northwest Bohemia), Lusatia (Germany), and Waldviertel (Austria). [3] Isotope analysis of samples of moldavites have shown a beryllium-10isotope composition similar to the composition of Australasian tektites (australites) and Ivory Coast tektites (ivorites). Their similarity in beryllium-10 isotope composition indicates that moldavites, australites, and ivorites consist of near surface and loosely consolidated terrestrial sediments melted by hypervelocity impacts. [4]

99% of all moldavite finds have come from the South Bohemian localities, 1% were found in South Moravian localities. Only tens of pieces were found in the Lusatian area (near Dresden), Cheb basin area (West Bohemia) and Northern Austria (near Radessen). Principal occurrences of moldavites in Bohemia are associated with Tertiary sediments of the esk Bud jovice and T ebo Basins. The most prominent localities are concentrated in a NW-SE strip along the western margin of the esk Bud jovice Basin. The majority of these occurrences are bound to the Vr b e Member and Koroseky Sandy Gravel. Prominent localities in the T ebo Basin are bound to gravels and sands of the Doman n Formation.

In Moravia, moldavite occurrences are restricted to an area roughly bounded by the towns of T eb , Znojmo and Brno. The colour of Moravian moldavites usually differs from their Bohemian counterparts, as it tends to be brownish. Taking into account the number of pieces found, Moravian localities are considerably less productive than the Bohemian ones; however, the average weight of the moldavites found is much higher. The oldest (primary) moldavite-bearing sediments lie between Slavice and T eb . The majority of other localities in southern Moravia are associated with sediments of Miocene as well as Pleistocene rivers that flowed across this area more or less to the southeast, similar to the present streams of Jihlava, Oslava and Jevi ovka.

Properties

The chemical formula of moldavite is SiO 2(+Al 2O 3). Its properties are similar to that of other types of glass, and its Mohs hardness is 5.5. Moldavite can be transparent or translucent with a mossy green color, with swirls and bubbles accentuating its mossy appearance.

Use

The total amount of moldavite scattered around the world is estimated at 275 tons.

There are typically two grades of moldavite: fine, often referred to as museum grade, and regular grade. Museum and regular grade moldavites can be told apart by their appearance. The regular grade pieces are usually darker and more saturated in their green colour, and the surface is seen as closely spaced pitting or weathering. This type sometimes appears to have been broken apart from a larger chunk. Moldavite is also found to be compatible with borosilicate glass and can be fused to it with ease. [5]

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Product Attributes:

Country/Region Of Manufacture: Egypt

Featured Refinements: Moldavite

Space Glass: Glass

Weight (lbs.): 0.50 lb

Length (in.): 12

Width (in.): 10

Height (in.): 3