Moldavite is the only extraterrestrial gemstone. The name is moldavite derived from where it is found. It comes from the Moldau River region in the Czech Republic (also known as Moldavia in the former Czechoslovakia) and thus the name Moldavite. It is a tektite, or a mineral that is formed when a meteor hits the earth.  The main accepted theory about it's origin is that when a large asteroid hit a neighboring region in Germany around 15-20 million years ago, some of the silicate earth that was ejected up through the earth's atmosphere came back down, melted and re-formed in the process -  and was transformed into the mineral we know today as Moldavite.  Thus - although it was a stone from the earth, it was transformed through this process into a truly unique gemstone that possesses qualities of both heaven and earth. Most moldavite is green to dark brownish green in color. Some of the finer museum-quality pieces can be much lighter in color with fern or feather-like textures. Most moldavite has tiny bubbles trapped inside - small pockets of what our upper atmosphere was like 15 million years ago! The beautiful green translucent color of Moldavite is produced by the presence of iron in combination with aluminum. It is the only known tektite that has a gemstone clarity which permits it to be cut into faceted stones. Moldavite jewelry is very popular!