The Fake Problem
As moldavite's value and popularity have surged, the market has been flooded with manufactured green glass — primarily produced in China and Southeast Asia — sold as genuine moldavite. Some estimates suggest over 50% of moldavite sold online is fake.
How to Identify Real Moldavite
| Feature | Real Moldavite | Fake |
|---|---|---|
| Surface texture | Complex natural "sculpture" — etched, pitted, with unique patterns from millions of years of chemical weathering | Smooth, glossy, or with repetitive mold marks |
| Bubbles | Elongated, stretched flow bubbles from high-velocity flight | Round, uniform bubbles (typical of poured glass) |
| Color | Natural variation: forest green, olive, occasionally brownish-green. Color varies with thickness. | Often too vivid, uniformly "bottle green," or unnaturally bright |
| Weight | Lighter than typical glass (density 2.3-2.5 g/cm³) | Heavier (soda-lime glass ~2.5 g/cm³) |
| Internal structure | Flow lines, lechatelierite (pure silica) inclusions visible under magnification | Clean interior or wrong inclusion types |
| UV response | No fluorescence under UV light | May fluoresce (depending on glass composition) |
Professional Verification
For valuable specimens, professional gemological testing is recommended:
- Refractive index testing — moldavite: 1.48-1.54
- Specific gravity measurement — moldavite: 2.32-2.50
- XRF analysis — confirms SiO₂-dominant composition with characteristic trace elements
- Microscopy — confirms lechatelierite, flow structures, and bubble morphology
Buying Tips
- Buy from established Czech dealers with verifiable provenance
- Be skeptical of prices that seem too good to be true
- Request certificates of authenticity from recognized gemological labs
- Learn to recognize the natural sculpted texture — it is moldavite's most distinctive feature
- Be especially wary of large, perfectly shaped, uniformly colored specimens at low prices