Controversial Tektite Features

Bubble blisters? Impact-welded tektite pebbles?

Featured as Meteorite Times "Tektite of the Month" in March 2003 and again in April 2006, these peculiar features have been variously explained as the result of collisional welding of two tektites, or as bubble-blisters. I dug through our inventory to provide you with a selection. I have more, but it'll take some looking. Enjoy!

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	15.7 gms, not for sale	My most instructive piece. This is a bubble shard that is broken directly across a bubble blister. Click on the thumnail to see additional larger views. The convex outer surface is paired with a concave inner surface, and flow banding in the glass is continuous from the main body of the tektite across the arched blister. This one is for sure a rising bubble.
	19.0 gms $20Sold	Another piece broken across the feature in question. Again, there is an internal bubble and continuity of flow banding.
	19.1 gms $15	Another broken piece providing a cross-section. There is an internal bubble, but flow banding is not visible
	128.3 gms $150Sold	Here's one like Paul Harris depicted in Meteorite Times. If I was to pick a piece from this selection to suggest impact-fusing of a small tektite into a larger, this would be it. I don't see any definitive features, but the little bead stands in strong relief! The overall specimen is a classic patty-shape.
	202.8 gms $300	Here's a cool piece. It is a very large splatted "onion" form teardrop (stubby tail at lower right). Specific Gravity measurements indicate that this piece still contains a 7 to 9 cc bubble. While the blister feature is convex, it is set deeply into the surface. A superb tektite by all standards!
	12.5 gms $30Sold	Here's a high-relief feature at the small end of what is probably a bladed teardrop tail.
	17.6 gms $15Sold	This specimen is split through the feature, but there is no obvious bubble. The flow banding is very complexely swirled and seems to be continuous with that of the main body of the stone
	21.0 gms $20	A gentler, lower relief example.
	240.0 gms $250	Here's a whoppin' big 240 gm biscuit with a nicely convex feature that is deeply inset into the stone, more like what you'd get if you pushed a blunt oval hole punch into modeling clay.
	87.9 gms $50Sold	An aesthetically beautiful oval example. Unfortunately the specimen is flawed by a couple of thin glassy chips below my index finger in the image.
	39.8 gms $75Sold	Here is a fine specimen! A very rough-skinned bladed teardrop a little over 3 inches long. The blister is high-relief and a bit assymetrical, tilted towards the nose of the teardrop.
	82.2 gms $40	The largest example I have. Unfortunately, the stone, shaped like a thick orange segment is frosted by erosional abrasion. This might be an interesting one to cut.
	50.0 gms $75	A fine example. Quite large, high-relief, and seemingly "dented" on the back side below the bubble. Maybe an impact there triggered the bubble expulsion on the other side?
	111.3 gms $80	A cute tiny oval projecting a little above the surrounding skin. Overall specimen is an oval patty.
	113.8 gms $200	A double bubble! Interestingly, the right-edge furrow projects upwards as a hollow tube digging in along the moat.
	24.4 gms $25	Fairly high relief blister, broad oval moat.

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