The Color Moldavites – Yellowish or Brown
Most tektites’ colour is black, but in the case thin cuts it may be yellowish or brown. Authentic moldavite‘ beautiful green colour is rare and unique among tektites. Another kind of green are Urengoy (only three pieces were found) and Georgiaites. These are also very rare and expensive and are highly valued. Because of their transparency, the green colour of moldavite can also be seen.
The following colours are recognized in moldavites
Pale green (sometimes referred to as water green or Apple green moldavites).
Light green
Yellowgreen
Bottle green (the most commonly used)
Olive green
Browngreen
Brown
Poisonous (acid) green
My favorite color of moldavites are olive green and intensely colored bottle green. They are typical moldavite colour. But, they are rare. Two-colored moldavites can also exist, which are highly valuable. Many jewelers use ground and polished moldavites with lighter colors. They are transparent and provide the best result.
The locality will determine the color of the moldavites.
These are the most popular in South Bohemia. These are more common in areas like Radomilice, where they can be found in olive green and brownish. Dobrkovska Lhotka Zatacka. South Bohemia is very sparsely populated by poisonous green mouldavites.
Moravian moldavites tend to be olive green or darker.
What causes moldavites to be colored?
Their chemical coposition affects their colour and transparency. The main factors that influence colour are the content of iron (Fe I, Fe III), and manganese. (Mn II). In moldavites, bivalent iron is predominant and has the most influence on green colour. Trivalent iron has a significant role in browning. The greater the proportion of Fe /Fe II, the browner the moldavite.
A low level of titanium causes transparency.