Where is Moldavite found?

01Four countries, one large deposit

The impact that created the Ries crater propelled moldavite hundreds of kilometers away, between 200 and 485 km. This is why it is found in four countries:

• The South and West Bohemian regions, in the Czech Republic
• The Lusatia region, in Germany
• Northern Austria
• Southwestern Poland

However, the main deposits are found in South Bohemia, in the Czech Republic, where over 99% of all moldavite is concentrated.

02The main fields in South Bohemia

In South Bohemia, there are numerous fields where moldavite is extracted, including Brusná, Dolní Chrášťany, Jankov, Kvítkovice, Habří, Lipí, Slavče, Vrábče, Bukovec, Krasejovka, Besednice, Záluží, Žitná, Třebanice, Lhenice, Koroseky, Záhorčice, Holkov, Ločenice, Chlum nad Malší, Nesměň, Dobrkovská Lhotka, and Zatáčka. Many of these were exhausted decades ago and then restored to their original appearance.

Moldavite is usually found in gravel and soil, and only in three locations (České Budějovice, Besednice, and Třeboň) also in clay. Sand, soil, and clay are easily removed by washing in water.

Examples from the Czech Republic

Marouskovo pole – 2,16g

BacklitMarouskovo pole – 2,16g

Olesnice – 3g

BacklitOlesnice – 3g

03Moldavite from other countries

Germany

In Lusatia, Germany, moldavite has been found since 1967, with several hundred pieces discovered.

Austria

In the Horn area of Austria, small quantities of moldavite have been found since the early 1900s, with fewer than a hundred pieces discovered.

Poland

In southwestern Poland, small quantities have been found in the sand quarry of Nowa Wieś Kącka, near Wrocław. New locations were later discovered in Gozdnica (400 km from the Ries crater and 7 km from Germany) and Mielęcin.

04Is there a better location?

No: there were no national borders when moldavite landed 15 million years ago, and no country has "better" moldavite. Specimens found outside the Czech Republic sometimes cost more simply because they are less common, but this does not make them qualitatively superior.

The most beautiful and valuable moldavite is still found within the Czech Republic, simply because most of it is found there, with the widest range of variety and uniqueness. To understand which locations are most valuable, see the evaluation guide.

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