Amerikanites / Colombianites
New Colombianite Inventory Posted 1/20/03!!
Arizonaite Inventory added 2/8/03 (See bottom of page)
These materials have had a contentious history. Found in the vicinity of Cali, Colombia, the skin ornamentation encouraged many to believe that these were a new class of tektite. The hard data are now voting quite clearly: these are terrestrial obsidian (along with the Arizona specimens recently being offered as "possible tektites" by those operating in the dark end of the ethical gray zone).
Nevertheless, Amerikanites still have a proper place in fine collections. Aside from their historic inclusion in
tektite treatises, their skin is still an issue. There has been a lengthy debate regarding tektite ornamentation.
Clearly, some of the pits are related to ablation early in flight (as demonstrated unequivocally by Nininger's
and our stretch tektites). Other features are certainly related to frictional heating during thick atmospheric
transit (Australite buttons and cores). But it is ALSO true that terrestrial corrosion has played its part (in
this case best supported by Robert Haag's celebrated nicely ornamented, but weirdly colored moldavite that proved
to be ancient man-made glass). So, perhaps everyone was right, but insofar as they fought for only one story, they
were also all wrong. Amerikanites have features that are very much like features found on tektites.
That artificial and terrestrial glasses can corrode into tektite-like forms is no real surprise. Any (and ultimately,
every) chunk of glass will corrode
here on earth. Glass is not geologically stable. Give it a few tens of millions of years and it's gone. In the
meantime, it can look like a fine moldavite to a greater or lesser degree.
The collectable part of this story is that the argument continues. There is no doubt that by most standards, Colombianites
test out as terrestrial volcanic glass. But when you hold one and study the skin character and color, you'll wonder!
It is one of those circumstances where you find it hard to accept the party line. And who knows?? We've been wrong
about other things before. Be really cool and have examples of all parts of the debate ready to trot out. Then
go through this story and wow the whole cocktail party.
Amerikanites, sometimes termed Colombianites (not Columbianites!) , often have a beautiful pale lavender color in transmitted light. The photos look brown-gray, but the subtle purple tones are unmistakable in real life.
The following photo shows some extremely tektite-like specimens!
Any of the following images can be clicked to obtain an enlarged version.
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Here are some micrographs to illustrate the characteristics of Amerikanite skin ornamentation. You'll see breadcrust
cracks, hemispheric pits, and delicate lizard-skin beading---all on terrestrial obsidian!
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25.0 gms | Sorry, this big guy is not for sale. It is included here to show some of the incredibly tektite-like features in these guys. |
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4.2 gms | A fine little pill-shaped disk. |
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3.9 gms | Beautiful skin and pale lavender clarity. |
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3.2 gms | Nice skin detail. |
Exceptionally well-documented material collected by the Muisca Indians in the headwaters region of the Orinoco River, Boyaca and Casanare States, Colombia. There's plenty of fodder for debate concerning Colombianites without having to worry about the real source of the specimens in question. This material has the best chain of title pedigree that we have ever seen! You can fight over the propriety of the "tektite" label, but have no doubts, these are from the Colombian Cordillera Oriental!
Click on the left-hand stock-number in the table below to get an enlarged transmitted light individual view. Close the new window to return here.
| A1 | 4.80 grams | couple of tiny edge chips $15 |
| A2 | 7.38 grams | conchoidal chip on one edge |
| A3 | 4.84 grams | good overall pitting $20 |
| A4 | 4.99 grams | old fracture faces show incipient etching $18 |
| A5 | 4.90 grams | good skin, interesting deep conical pit $20sold |
| B1 | 8.00 grams | tiny internal bubbles $ |
| B2 | 4.97 grams | great, nicely pitted patty |
| B3 | 3.95 grams | good pitting and skin variety |
| B4 | 3.03 grams | excellent clarity, curved segment well pitted $15 |
| B5 | 3.85 grams | excellent all-over skin pitting and grooving! |
| C1 | 5.16 grams | Unusual milky gray translucence and strong flow-banding |
| C2 | 4.41 grams | Gorgeous half-patty, superb ornamentation, but 1/3 missing along recent break. |
| C3 | 3.69 grams | Nice all-over ornamentation, interesting tubular vesicles |
| C4 | 2.60 grams | Superb clarity and all-over pitting $30sold |
| C5 | 4.94 grams | Surface etched like sandpaper rather than pitted $25 |
| D1 | 3.70 grams | Nicely varied skin ornamentation $20on hold?probably can sell-- |
| D2 | 4.38 grams | Beautiful lizard-skin beading plus pitting. Polished edge as if carried, maybe as a charm?? |
| D3 | 3.62 grams | A classic well-ornamented pellet $ |
| D4 | 6.97 grams | VERY tektite-like form and pitting! |
| E1 | 4.36 grams | All surfaces are etched ancient conchoidal fractures $18 |
| E2 | 4.62 grams | Very nice half-oval patty. Great skin |
| E3 | 3.60 grams | Fabulous, flawless jelly-bean with classic pitting, high transparency |
| E4 | 4.26 grams | Great half-patty. Superb ornamentation |
| F1 | 3.92 grams | Interesting combination of flow-banding and superimposed pitting $20 |
| F2 | 4.54 grams | Excellent, flawless piece with classic character |
| F3 | 4.74 grams | Perfect tektite-like patty. sold |
| F4 | 3.49 grams | Sweet, well-ornamented, high-transparency pellet. $25 |
| G1 | 6.25 grams | Frosted look, with "V"-shaped grooves on one side $ |
| G2 | 3.39 grams | Very nice patty with several deep hemispheric pits (burst bubbles?) $30 |
| G3 | 5.67 grams | Beautiful pitted skin with "U"-shaped grooves. $30 |
| G4 | 4.30 grams | Another highly transparent specimen with unusual lenticular grooves $25 |
| H1 | 6.90 grams | Great finely etched "sandpaper" skin. Flattened jellybean shape. $40 |
| H2 | 3.55 grams | 3 sides of this tetrahedron are old breaks, but the fourth is gorgeously pitted and grooved! $20 |
| H3 | 6.47 grams | Flawless, flow-banded and nicely pitted, with great form. |
| H4 | 3.30 grams | Sweet rectangular-block-shaped with excellent ornamentation and clarity $25on hold, C.S |
| I 1 | 4.85 grams | A variety stone with a gray streak in otherwise gemmy clarity, varied skin as well $20 |
| I 2 | 4.74 grams | Most surfaces are variably etched old conchoidal fractures. Very transparent. |
| I 3 | 4.19 grams | Similar to I 2, but includes some deep grooves. $25 |
| I 4 | 3.27 grams | Instructive piece with quite deep pitting of old conchoidal surfaces. $20 |
| J1 | 5.17 grams | Another specimen with all surfaces formed by old conchoids. Not deeply pitted. $20 |
| J2 | 4.56 grams | Lizard-skin delicately beaded pellet. $15sold |
| J3 | 5.15 grams | Similar to J2, but more pitting. $18sold |
| J4 | 4.54 grams | Similar to J3, but nicer form. $20 |
Some debates refuse to die. Tektite-like specimens have been found in Arizona for years, but invariably the tests indicate that it is terrestrial obsidian. Like Colombianites, these specimens have nicely dimpled skin. The finder reports that the torch test in some cases yields good frothing, but in other cases, does not. The specimens are discernably magnetic (while the Colombianites above are not). Unlike many Arizonaites that show the smoky lavender transmitted-light color, these specimens are nearly opaque black like Bediasites. However, along the thinnest edges, they are gray (usually a negative discriminator). Some of these are layered, and can be extremely similar to Muong Nongs in physical appearance. The finder has one specimen with spectacular deeply etched ornamentation. I'll try to get a picture and post it for you. My opinion remains that the weight of evidence supports a non-tektite determination, but at the very least, specimens like these force us to carefully consider the characteristics truly diagnostic of tektite glass. Importantly, the most conspicuous feature of most tektites is the hemispheric pitting of the skin. Colombianites and Arizonaites demonstrate that this is not a diagnostic feature for tektite recognition.
|
Specimen # |
Weight |
Comments & Price |
|
AZ 1 |
43.5 gms |
Nice pits & "U" grooves. Back has frosted conch. fract. sold |
|
AZ 2 |
23.5 gms |
Bulbous, flat end is old frosted break |
|
AZ 3 |
18.1 gms |
Flawless, great pits and "U" grooves |
|
AZ 4 |
10.7 gms |
Delicate pitting. Back side is frosted break $10available |
|
AZ 5 |
7.3 gms |
Back side is frosted conchoidal fracture $ |
|
AZ 6 |
11.9 gms |
Flawless, great pitting |
|
AZ 7 |
14.4 gms |
Flawless, varied ornamentation $ |
|
AZ 8 |
8.4 gms |
Sweet. Delicate pitting. Flawless $10sold |
|
AZ 9 |
18.7 gms |
Mixed pits & "U" grooves. Back has tiny chip $17sold |
|
AZ 10 |
10.7 gms |
Nice, flawless, well-pitted |
|
AZ 11 |
32.8 gms |
Layered, pretty specimen. Some caliche $ |
|
AZ 12 |
16.8 gms |
Layered, incredible Muong-Nong look-alike! $ |
|
AZ 13 |
22.7 gms | Weakly layered, flawless |
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