Billitonite of 61 g for about 40 x 40 x 30 mm. - Lot 338

Billitonite of 61 g for about 40 x 40 x 30 mm. Billitonites are among the most sought-after tectites. They are strange stones that are revered in their region of origin, the island of Belitung, an island in Indonesia. The first were found by tin miners mining alluvial cassiterite ores at a depth of 10 m or more below the present ground surface. Billitonites are jet black with an enamel-like shiny surface and deep U-shaped grooves that are very graphic. These tektites are considered to be part of a major impact on our planet about 800,000 years ago that seems to have originated from a point in the Tonkin Bay area, although this is still debated as no crater, related to this impact, has been identified to date. It is now known that the deep engravings and the shiny surface of the Billitonites are due to the very acidic soils that prevail in this region.