People have been fascinated with extraterrestrial gems for over 100 years. They are rare materials with a novelty origin, and many people want them. Moldavite was being made into novelty gems as early as the late 1800s, and they were popular throughout Europe and popular with tourists. The demand for moldavite jewelry exceeded the amount of natural material available. So, enterprising people started faceting bottle glass, and those with glassmaking abilities began producing glass in just the right colors to supply this market.

Today, much of the moldavite being sold as faceted gems has been manufactured, as well as some of the rough specimens. If you want to read detailed information about fake moldavite, there is a good article titled “Moldavites: Natural or Fake?” in the Spring 2015 issue of Gems and Gemology. Tektites and desert glass are just as easy to fake, so many of the specimens of these materials being offered for sale are undisclosed imitations.

Medical professionals find it troubling that many people purchase materials like moldavite and use them for healing and wellness aides when there is no scientific evidence that they are effective. When that is combined with the fact that many of the moldavite items being sold today are undisclosed fakes, the use of these materials for anything other than novelty jewelry is concerning.