Most tektites are black at first glance. In the case of thin cut tektites, the colour may be brownish or yellowish. Moldavites are a rare and beautiful green color. The Urengoy tektites are another rare and highly valuable green variety. Only three pieces have been discovered. Their transparency also highlights the green color of real vs fake moldavite.
The following colors are recognized in moldavites
Pale green (sometimes called water green or apple-green moldavites).
Light green
Yellowgreen
Bottle green is the most common
Olive green
Browngreen
Brown
Poisonous (acid) green
Olive green and intense bottles are my favourite colors among moldavites. These are the typical moldavite colors. However, poisonous green moldavites can be very rare. Two-colored moldavites are also available, which can be very valuable. For jewellery, ground and polished moldavites in lighter shades are used often. They have the best effect because they are transparent.
Depending on the location, colors of moldavites vary.
The most common ones in South Bohemia are light and bottle green moldavite. They are less common than the olive green, brownish and pale green ones found in the Radomilice area. Dobrkovska Lhotka Zatacka. South Bohemia is home to very few poisonous green moldavites.
Moravian moldavites are primarily olive green or brown.
What is the cause of moldavites’ color?
Their chemical coposition determines the colour and transparency. The most important factors in colour are their chemical coposition (Fe II and Fe III), manganese (Mn I), and iron (Fe III ). Moldavites is dominated by bivalent iron, which has the greatest influence on green color. Trivalent iron is responsible for brown colour. The more moldavite has a higher ratio of Fe II to Fe III , the darker it will be.
A low titanium content can cause transparency.