Indonesian Tektites

*Indonesian Gemstone Series*

by: Agianto Mutiadjaja

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Tektites are small natural amorphous silica glass rocks (with varies impurities of magnesium, iron and other
elements depending on their localities) that have similar chemical composition with terrestrial sandstones
but with very low water content (0.005%). They have sizes from a few millimeters to a few centimeters with
a range of shapes (which were aerodynamically formed) including spheres, rods, dumbbells, teardrops,
discs, flangedbuttons and layered forms. Most tektites are dark brown to black in color; But there are some
(moldavites) with a kind of bottle-green color. Tektites are found scattered or strewn about on the ground in
widely separated fields in some parts of the world, most commonly with no chemical relation to the local bed
rocks. The limited areas where chemically and physically related tektites are found are called strewnfields.
The assignment of a strewnfield is based on the oxide composition of a tektite (ie. SiO2, AlO3, FeO, Na2O).
There are four of major strewnfields: Australasian (australites and indochinites - 780,000 years old), Ivory
Coast (Ivory Coast tektites – 1,000,000 years old), Czechoslovakian (moldavites – 14,700,000 years old),
and North American (bediasites – 34,000,000 years old). But their origin is still a debatable issue. Most
scientists strongly believed they are formed from terrestrial silicate due to an impact by a fallen large
extraterrestrial body (meteorite or comet) from outer space; they are formed from the melting (due to very
high energy accompanying the hypervelocity impact) and rapid cooling of the surface earth rocks. The
name tektite is derived from the Greek “tektos”, meaning molten. Some believed they are a product of a
meteorite impact but of the cosmic material. Some connect them with the moon.

Indonesian tektites together with Chinese tektites, tibetanites, Vietnamese tektites, Cambodian tektites,
Laotian tektites, thailandites, Anda tektites, rizalites, phillipinites, malaysianites are collectively known as
indochinites. They can be found in Belitung Island (formerly Billiton Island) known as billitonites (batu
satam), Kalimantan known as Borneo tektites (batu kelulut), Central Java known as javanites (batu meteor).

The indochinites together with australites are known as Australasian tektites. By far, the Australasian
strewnfield is the largest strewnfield in the world but it is the only one whose impact crater is still unknown.
This is probably because the 780,000 years old crater is now buried by younger sediments, plus eroded
and modified by erosion and/or geologic processes; and the crater is so enormous that larger area is
needed to be studied, making the identification difficult.
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The reconstruction of the origin of Australasian Tektites
(due to a meteorite impact):

For Illustration Purpose

Only!

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Around 780,000 years ago, a large hypervelocity meteorite or comet impacted the earth obliquely from a
northwertern to southeastern direction somewhere at the upper region of Indochina. The enormous kinetic
energy of the extraterrestrial object turned into heat energy on impact and melted the uppermost layers of
earth rock. The molten rocks also received momentum and were splashed into the sky (above the
atmosphere). They broke into blobs that were later transformed into spheres, ovals, dumbbells or
teardrops depending on the speed of rotation. Due to gravity, their velocities were then quickly reduced
and reentry occurred. As they re-entered at high velocity, the friction of the tektite with the atmosphere
heated up the anterior. Tektites closer to the source usually have larger mass. They landed molten and
formed layered structures, with just a thin brittle outer shell that might crack. These are the "Muong-Nong"
type tektites. At medium distances from the impact site they had solidified sufficiently on the exterior that
during re-entry the heating caused paper-thin cracks and spalling on the anterior surface. These are the
"splashform" tektites that appear as spheres, rods, dumbbells, teardrops and discs. Some of these two
types of tektite were still variably plastic when they hit the earth and might yield derivative morphologies.
These are the “splatform" tektites. At greater distances, the tektites re-entered the atmosphere solid. They
melted, producing flangedbuttons and commonly spalled, producing cores. These are the "ablated
splashform" tektites. Finally, there are the "microtektites" which are recovered in cores of sediments taken
from the oceans that help define the boundaries of the strewnfields. They are believed to have condensed
from the vapor of earth material produced from the hypervelocity impact.

The first ejectas had the highest temperatures; they tend to be more liquid and able to break into smaller
blobs easier, have higher velocity and landed the furthest (Australia). The later ejectas had slightly lower
temperatures, larger mass, reduced velocities and landed around Indochina.

When the tektites have reached the earth surface, they may be eroded or modified by nature forces over
time: they may be naturally etched in the soil, enlarging any paper-thin cracks or; may be smoothed by
water transport.

The above reconstruction has several weaknesses. First of all, as mentioned earlier, so far there is No
crater that can be associated with the Australasian strewnfield. And It is unable to explain the geological
age difference (the age of the local terrestrial sediments in which they are found is much younger, only a
few thousand years). www.emasdanpermata.com
Billitonites from Belitung Island
Billitonites were first described by Van Dijk in1879. Belitung Island was then
known as Billiton Island. They were discovered in the course of mining for tin.
The local name Satam was derived from Chinese “Sa” meaning sand and
“Tam” meaning gall. Billitonites are black and have shapes of the splashforms
with pitted surfaces. They are the most commonly found tektites in Indonesia.
They can produce smooth, shiny surfaces similar to black onyx when
polished.

@www.tektites.co.uk

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Javanites from Central Java
Javanites or Javan tektites were first described by Von Koenigswald in1935.
They were found in soil formation around Sangiran area, which also yielded
fossils of ancient human and some mid-Pleistocene mammals. Javanites are
black in color. They have unique texture and appearance. They are usually
deeply pitted and often have spiky shapes which are probably due to acidic
etchants in the ground.

@tektitesource.com

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Borneo tektites from Kalimantan
Borneo tektites were first described by Salomon Mueller in 1915. Borneo is
now known as Kalimantan. The tektites were found at Martapura (gold pits),
Pelaihari and Sungai Riam Kanan (diamond pits), in the southeastern
corner of the island.

Gemological Data of Indonesian Tektites:

Chemistry: Mostly silicate SiO2 (72-75%)
Crystal System: Amorphous (Mineraloids)
Color: Black with brown transmitted light along thin edges
Luster: Vitreous to dull
Transparency: Translucent to opaque
Cleavage: None
Fracture: Conchoidal
Hardness: 5 – 6
Specific Gravity: Approximately 2.45
Refractive Index: 1,507 - 1,510
Streak: White
Treatments: None (Usually use as is but sometimes are cut and/or
polished)
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Valuation:
Tektites are appreciated for their unique shapes and surface structure. Due to
rarity, Indonesian tektites with perfect dumbbell or teardrop shape are valued
more than those with sphere or oval shape. The bigger they are the better.

Metaphysical Properties:
The corresponding chakra for tektites is the root chakra. Though they are
somewhat light, they are helpful for grounding works. They are good at
calming one’s feelings from fear. They can prevent emotional scars and foster
wisdom through life experience. They have been used as talisman for
protection against evils.

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Please do not mistaken tektites with:

1. Obsidian – natural amorphous glass associated with volcanic processes.

They may have microlites (microscopic crystals) inclusion but tektites have
none. They can be distinguished by heating with a torch: obsidians turn to a
foamy glass, while tektites turn red hot with only a few bubbles (because
tektites have much lower content of water and other volatiles).

2. Impactite – natural amorphous glass found at or close to an impact crater.

Obsidians and tektites have homogeneous composition, but Impactites are
usually inhomogeneous in composition.

3. Desert glass – natural amorphous glass believed to be produced by lightning

striking the earth. They are found in desserts. They have surface sculpture
that is not original but due to desert weathering / wind-blown sand.

4. Meteorite – extraterrestrial materials from different types of bodies in the

solar system. They have very different compositions.

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Thank You

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