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(Obviously, this test isn’t recommended for finished gems). However, after cooling down, they’ll invariably shatter within a few hours due to thermal stress. When gently heated with an oxy-acetylene flame, obsidians will froth and become pumice. Jim Tobin explains this procedure in his 2003 article on tektite testing. This near total absence of water makes possible another, more dramatic, way to distinguish tektites from obsidians. Tektites won’t have these bands because they contain virtually no water. While tektite is rare, obsidian is very common, which may lead to some misidentifications. This volcanic rock has many properties that overlap with those of tektite: color, hardness, specific gravity, and RI.Īnalyzing obsidian and other natural glasses with an Ultraviolet-visible-Near Infra-Red spectroscope (UV-vis-NIR) will show sharp bands at 13–2250 nm, which indicate the presence of water. Tektites may be confused with another variety of natural glass: obsidian. See the moldavite gem listing for more information. Examining inclusions and testing for fluorescence are the easiest ways to begin identifying them. (Of course, these are the most well-known variety and most likely to appear in jewelry or as cut gems). Vendors may sell manufactured glass pieces as natural tektites, particularly moldavites. Distinguishing Tektites from Other Glass Varieties Numerous rounded or torpedo-shaped bubbles (common) also swirl striae that are unlike those seen in paste (glass used to imitate gemstones).Ī translucent georgiaite, found in Dodge County, Georgia. Moldavites may show two vague bands in the blue and orange range.įrom the Greek tektos for “molten.” Varieties are named after the localities where they occur.Īll tektites occur in the strewn fields of meteorite impacts, where the gems are literally strewn over the ground in a very wide area. Silica (75%) + Al, Fe, Ca, Na, K, Mg, Ti, Mn.īlack, green, yellowish green, greenish brown, brown, colorless.Īmorphous (tektites are natural glasses). They’ll likely command the highest prices of all tektites, though they’re still relatively inexpensive.Īustralite, Bikolite, Billitonite, Darwin Glass, Moldavite
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Photo courtesy of and Heritage Auctions.Īlthough very rare, moldavites are the tektite variety most likely to be sold as gemstones. This gentleman’s 18k gold ring features an inverted, oval-shaped tektite (16.30 x 13.95 x 10.35 mm) accented by inverted, square-shaped rubies.