Is Moldavite Magnetic? (ANSWERED)

Moldavite is weakly magnetic.

In the article that follows, you’ll learn more about moldavite and it’s magnetic properties.

Is Moldavite Magnetic? (EXPLAINED)

Introduction

In the world of science, there are millions of explanations as to why and how an object reacts the way it does or does not.

One such magnificent yet puzzling occurrence is called magnetism.

During the middle Miocene period, the gorgeous plant green substance named moldavite came blazing through the atmosphere heated at very high temperatures.

Any magnetization that could have existed prior, was almost certainly weakened by the time the moldavite reached the Earth’s surface.

Nonetheless, trace amounts of iron are what gives moldavite its beautiful green hue, and within this small amount, it is mildly magnetic.

The remainder of this article will give you an in depth look at moldavite, what it looks like, where it came from and what it’s used for.

What is Moldavite?

Moldavite is a transparent or translucent, bright forest green or olive-green, vitreous silica projectile natural glass tektite.

Because of its extremely low water content, fusibility and chemical composition, the current consensus among earth scientists is that moldavites were formed 14.7 million years ago in the heat of a meteorite impact in the present day Nördlinger Ries Crater, southern Germany.

Pieces of molten hot material that broke off the meteor actually cooled before impact while they were still airborne and then displaced themselves throughout Europe, most falling in Bohemia, Czech Republic.

For centuries, an un-named “Moldavite” has been well known throughout the entire world.

Although in 1836, Armand Dufrénoy first used the term “Moldavite”, derived from the Moldau river in Bohemia, where the first pieces were found.

Present day, 99 percent of all moldavites have been found in Bohemia.

Other areas include Moravia, Germany, and Austria.

Unfortunately, moldavite mines aren’t so abundant due to depletion over the past two hundred years.

The fact remains that moldavite can only be found in one area on Earth, which means it will eventually run out and there will be nothing left for us to mine.

This precious glass is used most in jewelry making and metaphysical uses.

However, it’s important to note that around the beginning of the 20th century many unreputable retailers resorted to selling fake pieces of green bottle glass.

The key to finding authentic moldavite and not well-crafted counterfeits is to look at the lechatelierite texture as well as the abundant air bubbles that you should see.

Any faceted stones missing inclusions or bubbles and look like a clean or flawless piece of glass are most likely a doup.

Metaphysically, many people believe that, as of its origins, this alien green tektite has a cosmic oversoul of its own.

This means that they believe those who have moldavite will be better able to connect with outer worldly things, their higher self, as well as ancestorial masters.

What Does Magnetic Mean?

The term “magnetic” refers to any stone, crystal, tektite, or natural substance that shows visible attraction to a magnet.

By definition, magnetism is what categorizes the forces that attract certain materials to one another or rejects them.

Overall, magnetism is just one aspect of the combined electromagnetic force.

Within the world of natural elements, magnetic susceptibility is the scientific term for the degree to which a metal is attracted to or repelled by a magnetic field.

Magnetism arises from the spin and orbital motion of electrons or electric charges.

All substances in this world are made up of tiny particle units called atoms.

Each atom has electrons, which are particles that carry electrical charge.

The electrons, spinning like tops, circle the core, or nucleus, of an atom.

Their circular movement generates an electrical current and causes each electron to act as a microscopic magnet.

In most incidences, equal numbers of electrons spin in opposite directions, which cancels out all their magnetism.

Although some substances have electrons that are not paired with other electrons, the unpaired electrons are then free to align themselves with a magnetic field.

The result is magnetic attraction.

Matter that doesn’t show magnetic attraction, doesn’t have enough unpaired electrons and is considered inert or chemically inactive.

Why Is Moldavite Magnetic?

Most matter can retain its magnetism at temperatures of around 2000 F.

With increasing temperature, the atoms in a moldavite vibrate more and more vigorously.

This jumbling confuses and misaligns the magnetic domains, which eventually lose their magnetic alignment.

This is thought to have happened during the moldavites’ fiery descent upon earth.

Magnetic materials are always made of metal, but not all metals are magnetic, for example, gold copper, and aluminum.

For magnetic materials such as iron or the iron inside of moldavite, their degree of attraction can be noted as weak, moderate, or strong.

These metals can range in magnetic strength from being capable of lifting steel rods to barely turning the needle on a compass.

The magnetism that we most often encounter in metals is a certain type of magnetism called ferromagnetic.

Ferromagnetic is the kind of magnetism associated with iron, such as a paper clip.

Paramagnetic is a much weaker form of magnetism due to only the presence of dissolved metals within a particular substance.

Paramagnetism’s attraction can be a million times lower than Ferromagnetism.

Moldavite contains small traces of iron and because of this, it is paramagnetic and can be made only slightly magnetic.

As a result, only highly powered magnets can distinguish moldavite.

In certain materials such as iron, magnetite, nickel, or iron oxide, magnetism is naturally present, and it works without any exterior help.

In other materials, the magnetizer effect is not so apparent, but it does exist.

Because of this, moldavite is far less magnetic than many other natural materials.

Once a specimen is established as magnetic, identification of the substance becomes a rather routine exercise.

There are a multitude of methods to help find out if a material is magnetic or inert.

Examples of these tests are, ballistic, induction, magneto metric, electrodynamic, bridge, potentiometer, wattmeter, calorimeter, resonance, and neutron-diffraction.

Moldavites can be separated from one type to another, and sometimes identified, simply by observing which response the tektite shows when the magnetic field of an N52 grade neodymium magnet is applied.

Magnetism has been scientifically proven since 1820 by Danish physicist and chemist, Hans Christian Ørsted.

Today, there is still a more comprehensive overview to be done on the magnetic properties of the four known tektite fields and related melted impact glasses.

Currently, it is continuously being studied for further in depth understanding.