[meteorite-list] New type of fake moldavite coming soon?

[Randy Korotev]

Unless these guys have gone to a lot of work making a special glass, 
I would think the fakes could be easily be distinguished from the 
real things by composition.  Moldavites have less than <1% sodium as 
Na2O whereas green bottle glass has 13-14%.  Similarly, green bottle 
glass (soda-lime glass) has 9-11% calcium as CaO whereas moldavites 
have 2-3% CaO.  Moldavites have 2-3% iron as Fe2O3 and green bottle 
glass (7 samples I've analyzed) has 0.1-0.7%.  One of those hand held 
XRF guns should be able to see the differences for Ca and Fe (they 
won't do Na except in vacuum).

Randy Korotev