Where Is Moldavite Found? A Guide to Moldavite Country

The short answer: Almost all moldavite is found in the Czech Republic, mainly in South Bohemia and western Moravia. Smaller amounts come from the Cheb Basin in northwest Bohemia, Lusatia in eastern Germany and the Waldviertel region of Austria, with rare finds in southwest Poland. It landed there after a meteorite struck southern Germany around 15 million years ago.

Why the Czech Republic?

When the meteorite struck what is now the Nördlinger Ries crater in Bavaria, molten glass was thrown east. It landed hundreds of kilometres away, across the region that is now the Czech Republic. Geologists call this area the moldavite strewn field.

South Bohemia

South Bohemia is the classic home of moldavite, and the region that gave the stone its name. The Vltava River, known in German as the Moldau, flows through it. The area around České Budějovice and Český Krumlov has produced moldavite for centuries.

Several South Bohemian localities are famous among collectors, including Besednice, known for pieces with extraordinary, lacy sculpting, and Chlum nad Malší, one of the best-known sources of recent decades.

Moravia

Western Moravia, around Třebíč, is the second major moldavite region. Moravian pieces are often described by collectors as having slightly different colours and surface textures from those found in Bohemia.

Smaller sources

• Cheb Basin, northwest Bohemia
• Lusatia, eastern Germany
• Waldviertel, northern Austria
• Lower Silesia, southwest Poland, where finds are rare

Why locality matters

Knowing where moldavite comes from is one of the best ways to trust what you're buying. Fake moldavite is often made elsewhere from coloured glass. A seller who can tell you where their moldavite comes from, and who they source it from, gives you far more confidence than one who can't.

How we source our moldavite

At Pure Lightness, our moldavite comes from a trusted collector in the Czech Republic, the heart of moldavite country. We've worked with the same collector for over 20 years, a relationship built on trust that lets us stand behind every piece we offer.

Learn more in our guide on how to tell if moldavite is real.

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