Natural Moldavite | 2.69g | Nesmen Les

A distinctive 2.69g natural Moldavite specimen from Nesmen Les, Czech Republic, displaying a broad, rounded form with the rugged surface sculpting characteristic of this sought-after locality.

Physically, this specimen has a compact, slightly oval profile with substantial thickness through the centre. The natural surface is covered with irregular pits, shallow grooves, ridges and overlapping etched formations, creating a rugged texture that changes noticeably across the stone. One side shows particularly pronounced sculpting, while smoother recessed areas reveal the deeper body colour beneath.

The stone exhibits a dark forest to olive-green colour in normal lighting. Because of its relatively thick body, the central areas appear deeper and more saturated, while the thinner edges become noticeably brighter and more translucent when illuminated. This difference occurs because light must travel through varying amounts of natural glass: thicker sections absorb more light, while thinner sections transmit more, producing the characteristic variation from dark green to luminous green.

Its uneven etched surface also affects the way light behaves. Tiny ridges, depressions and curved surfaces reflect, refract and scatter light at different angles, creating changing highlights and revealing additional details as the specimen is rotated. The result is a stone with considerable visual depth despite its compact form.

Nesmen Les — les meaning “forest” in Czech — is one of the most prized Moldavite localities, producing remarkable specimens comparable with those from Besednice Jezkovna and Maly Chlum. Although the deposits are not completely depleted, they are difficult to mine, and relatively few specimens emerge from this highly sought-after locality. Nesmen Les is especially renowned for its spectacular natural etching and richly sculpted surfaces.

At 2.69 grams, this specimen is an appealing example of Nesmen Les Moldavite, combining a substantial rounded form, deep green colour, natural translucency and intricate surface texture.

What is Moldavite & where is it from?

Moldavite is a rare tektite or meteoric glass, caused by an asteroid impact 15 million years ago. The intense, 10,000°C+ temperatures of the strike vapourised the asteroid, target rock and sand, flinging the molten substance high into the atmosphere.

From the impact zone in Germany some 300km away, it landed back to earth in what is now the Czech Republic and as it flew, it cooled and solidified into translucent green, glass-like droplets of various shapes and sizes.

It is said that only 1% of what had originally fallen is still intact to this day and the estimates of the total amount of Moldavite remaining is under 300 tonnes. In comparison with gold or diamonds, this makes Moldavite 1000x rarer.

99% of all Moldavite is found in a small area in the southern part of the Czech Republic. It can be found on the surface but the highly prized, well-preserved specimens are found up to 6 metres underground.

Moldavite NZ

Moldavite NZ is a small family business and collectors hub based in New Zealand. We are the only exclusive Moldavite dealer in the Southern Hemisphere. We source all of our Moldavite directly through our family and trusted contacts in the Czech Republic. All of our Moldavite and jewellery is guaranteed for authenticity by a 100% money-back guarantee.