Australite

What australite actually is

The species behind australite is the Australian member of the Australasian tektite strewn field, distinguished by aerodynamic ablation flanges on button forms, SiO2 approx. 70-78%, with Al2O3, FeO, MgO and CaO; it forms in the amorphous system.

Fe2+; black to very dark green-brown in thin edges is responsible for the colour — and the chromophore, not the name, is what decides whether a colour is stable.

On the instruments it reads a refractive index of 1.50-1.52 and a specific gravity of about 2.35-2.50, with none; the ablated button forms with a rim flange are the most aerodynamically informative objects on Earth cleavage.

Where australite comes from

Commercial material comes from Nullarbor Plain, Western Australia and South Australia, Port Campbell, Victoria, Australia, Charlotte Waters, Northern Territory, Australia and Kalgoorlie region, Western Australia.

Different localities give different colour and different clarity, and the trade prices them differently. We state which one.

How australite is treated

Untreated. LEGAL: several Australian states treat meteorites, and in some readings tektites, as Crown property - Western Australia's Museum Act and South Australia's legislation vest meteorites in the state, and export of Australian meteorites requires a permit under the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act. The position on tektites specifically is less settled than for meteorites, but buyers should ask; complete flanged buttons are the most-faked form. Not CITES.

We state the treatment on every stone, including when the honest answer is that it cannot be determined. A treatment disclosed is a fact; a treatment discovered later is a refund.

What australite is confused with

Watch for Indochinite (the same strewn field, different morphology), Carved and polished imitations of flanged buttons, Obsidian and Slag glass — these are what turn up sold under this name.

The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.50-1.52 and specific gravity 2.35-2.50 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.

What australite is used for

The trades that buy australite are mineral collecting and decorative objects. They do not want the same thing, and they do not pay in the same unit.

We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the specimen or by the piece.

Durability and care

Australite is 5.5-6.5 on the Mohs scale, with none; the ablated button forms with a rim flange are the most aerodynamically informative objects on Earth cleavage.

With no cleavage plane to worry about, the practical limit is abrasion rather than breakage, and it takes daily wear well.

Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.

What australite costs

Expect roughly $1-10 per gram for ordinary forms; complete flanged buttons $100-2,000 each, depending on quality.

That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.

Related stones