Fake Moldavite

 

Manufactured (Fake) Moldavite Warning

There is quite a lot of counterfeit Moldavite out there; believe it or not I have been offered fraudulent Moldavite on several instances from Asia, Australia as well as the USA. The difference is quite apparent, fake Moldavite is generally the color of melted green bottles comparable in shade to a Heinekin or Steinlager bottle.

The surface of Real Moldavite will differ from very spiky to almost smooth but it is never as smooth as cut glass. 

Fake Moldavite usually comes in much more substantial pieces up to a kg (2 lbs). The biggest Moldavite ever found was about 238 grams (1/2 lb) consequently anything bigger than this is definately not authentic. I actually do promise that you'll receive genuine Moldavite crystals and so really don't throw your hard earned dollars away on crap.

 How do I know if I am buying a Actual Moldavite?

The easiest way is to buy your Moldavite here because I guarantee they are genuine!

1. The actual ORIGIN of Every Moldavite available to purchase comes from the Czech Republic.
2. The shade of Moldavite is similar to an olive green, it is not the color of emeralds or green beer bottles.
3. Moldavite comes in various dimensions the more substantial and the more perfect pieces are usually many 1000's of dollars so if you are offered anything over the size of your palm and it's cheaper than this - you can count on it being a fake.
4. You can certainly pay as little as $30 for a small piece of Real Moldavite.
5. Perfect moldavites are usually very difficult to obtain simply because they are a natural glass which comes out of the dirt.
6. Selecting a Moldavite with a modest chip or two does enable you to look inside, so it is really not all negative.
7. Fake Moldavite is quite common. Bogus Moldavite is frequently made out of green beer bottles, the color is really a dead give-away
8. In my own experience all Moldavite contains tiny gas pockets inside.
9. No two Moldavites will be the exact same, if they are then you're purchasing fabricated Moldavite. RUN!
10. Moldavite gemstones above 20 to 30 can be bought, for a high cost but smaller pieces which range from under a gram can be obtained and not too expensive.
11. Crystals more than 30 grams are extremely exceptional.
12. Moldavites 50 plus grams do come on the market however they frequently go to collectors before they hit the market.
13. In my personal experience Moldavites DO have healing qualities and most people are able to 'feel' something when they hold Moldavite.
14. Most people when studying a piece of Moldavite on this website will feel the 'vibes'.  

Update on the Moldavite situation - July 2010

I’ve just been talking to my friend in the Czech Republic and the Moldavite news is getting much worse. Moldavites have dried up and what is available is such rubbish quality my friend refuses to buy it. Also the price from the diggers has gone through the roof because so many people are looking for it. People are even driving to Besednice and other known Moldavite locations from Germany and Poland to hunt for themselves. The locals are not very happy about this situation at all because these strangers are walking over their land and digging in their fields often at night in an attempt to find their own Moldavite direct from the ground. There has been a bit of aggravation between farmers and Moldavite hunters and I’m sure you can understand why. The locals will no longer give information regarding Moldavite and strangers are definitely not welcome.

View Larger Map

This is a map of the closed mine at Besednice - the mine consists of the 2 white patches on the right of the image.

In the last couple of years the Moldavite miners have gone to ground – excuse the pun. Moldavite mining used to be a bit of a national pastime, families would ask a farmer’s permission to look in their fields after ploughing was finished and before the crops went in. It was a happy time with families making a day outing with picnics and plans to visit different places on the way. The ploughing would bring Moldavite rocks to the surface – often the pieces were broken usually quite small but it was still an adventure. If you came home with 4 or 5 precious Moldavite gems you had had a good day out. My friend did this for over 10 years and never found anything even approaching 20 grams so it certainly shows that the bigger pieces are very rare indeed.

For many families Moldavite mining was not just a hobby but also an additional source of income. Although most of it was illegal and carried out in the State forests, there was a friendly rivalry between miners who often worked in the middle of the night and within shouting distance of each other. The custom was to tie and cloth to a nearby tree so that other miners would know that you were still working the hole – and they would stay away. Recently the government has taken a bit of a tough approach to mining – mainly because most of it was illegal and in the public forests. Forests are now patrolled by the police at night. Miner’s homes are now raided by police looking for Moldavite and the moldavite is confiscated. The whole dynamic has changed very quickly, even over the last year.

I consider myself fortunate to have a rather nice collection and I’m very grateful that I started when I did. I am also fortunate to have some Moldavite available for sale.