Touch a gemstone formed by meteorite

Moldavite is the semi-precious gemstone of tektites, which is a rare material formed by a meteorite impact. The one of the kind semi-precious moldavite gemstones were formed 15 million years ago when a huge meteorite crashed into the territory of modern-day Bavaria, from where a catastrophic explosion hurled them up to a distance of 400 km. In the ancient times people in South Bohemia found pieces of clear green glass but their origin long remained a mystery.

Nowadays, the most famous and richest deposits of moldavite lie in a relatively narrow belt between Písek and Nové Hrady, on the western edge of the České Budějovice basin.

Learn about this common myth

Many people believe that the Czech version of the gemstone's name 'Vltavín' is named after the longest river in the Czech Republic. However, the term 'Moldavite' is derived from the German version of the city Týn nad Vltavou -  'Moldauthein'. As previously stated, the first described pieces came from the nearby area. As a result, Franz Xaver Maxmilian Zippe, curator of the collections at the National Museum in Prague, coined the term moldavite in 1836. The Czech equivalent of Vltavín debuted at the Jubilee Exhibition in 1891, more than 50 years later.

Luxurious gifts for your other halves

Thanks to good contacts between collectors and legal producers or miners of moldavites you can buy the gemstones for a fair price. Luxurious jewelry with natural and polished moldavites, including rings and earrings, is available. Everything is of course made by certified goldsmiths in the Czech Republic.