Australite

Australite is the name for tektites found in Australia. They form the southern end of the vast Australasian strewn field, which stretches from southern China to Australia, and are about 610,000–750,000 years old; the strewn field is probably linked to an impact in Indochina. They are dark or black and generally smaller than other tektites. The most famous are the “flanged buttons”, whose front face melted again as they passed through the atmosphere, leaving a rim around the edge. Aboriginal Australians have used these stones as tools and ritual objects for tens of thousands of years.

Flanged-button australites took their shape when their front face melted and flowed backwards as they entered the atmosphere at very high speed. In the 1960s, NASA drew on this shape when designing the re-entry capsules of the Apollo programme.

Aboriginal tools and ritual objects: Aboriginal Australians have used australites for tens of thousands of years. About 15 percent of 8,720 specimens collected at Earaheedy Station in Western Australia are knapped flakes and cores. Science: Australites show how a molten object moving very fast takes shape in the atmosphere; NASA drew on the flanged-button shape when designing the Apollo capsules. The age and spread of the strewn field are studied to understand large impacts. Collecting: Buttons with intact flanges and rare shapes are sought by collectors.

It has a hardness of 5–6 on the Mohs scale. It can scratch glass; a steel knife scratches it only with difficulty. Its specific gravity is 2.3–2.5 g/cm³.

Its best-known localities: Port Campbell, western Victoria, Australia; Eastern Goldfields (around Kalgoorlie-Boulder), Western Australia; Earaheedy Station, Western Australia; Corrigin area, Western Australia; Nullarbor Plain (north-west of Hughes), South Australia.

They are black or dark, glassy and usually small pieces; a fine network pattern may show on their surfaces. Regular shapes are typical: spheres, ovals, boats, dumbbells and teardrops; the best known is the button, with a domed centre and a thin rim (flange) around the edge. When broken they show curved, shell-like surfaces and sharp edges; there are no crystal faces.

On the “street to diamond” value ladder it sits on step 5 of nine: Ornamental stone. Because australites are plentiful, most are inexpensive collector’s pieces. Value depends mostly on shape and preservation: buttons with an unbroken flange and rare forms such as thin discs and bowls are the most sought after. Size, crisp surface detail and a documented find site also matter; worked pieces belonging to Aboriginal culture are cultural heritage rather than mere natural specimens.

The Aboriginal Diyari people called australites “ooga” (“staring eyes”) and used them as sacred objects. According to the Australian Museum, Aboriginal Australians have used australites as artefacts and ritual objects for more than 30,000 years; tektites are also recorded as having been used as surgical tools and ritual implements. The sacred and ritual place of australites in Aboriginal traditions is cultural heritage. Scientifically, they are natural glasses formed from Earth rocks melted and thrown out by an impact; there is no evidence that they carry any supernatural power. This section reports beliefs; it is not health information. There is no scientific evidence for these claims and no stone replaces medical treatment.