meteorite
Tektite
Natural impact glass
Hardness: 5.5 on the Mohs scale, Color: Black to dark brown or dark green, Luster: Vitreous to dull, Crystal structure: Amorphous (non-crystalline glass), Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture), Specific gravity: 2.3 to 2.5
- Hardness
- 5
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Physical properties
Hardness: 5.5 on the Mohs scale, Color: Black to dark brown or dark green, Luster: Vitreous to dull, Crystal structure: Amorphous (non-crystalline glass), Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture), Specific gravity: 2.3 to 2.5
Formation & geological history
Formed by the melting of terrestrial rocks during hypervelocity meteorite impacts, rapidly cooled into glass approximately millions of years ago
Uses & applications
Used in metaphysical healing, jewelry, lapidary arts, and as collector specimens
Geological facts
Tektites are composed almost entirely of silica with inclusions of lechatelierite and unmelted mineral grains. Despite being associated with meteorite impacts, they are made of melted Earth rock rather than extraterrestrial material.
Field identification & locations
Identified by their characteristic pitted, grooved, or wrinkled surface textures, high glass content, conchoidal fracture, and lack of crystalline structure. Commonly found strewn across distinct strewn fields on Earth such as the Australasian, North American, and Central European fields.
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