Collection: Libyan Desert Glass
The geologic origin of Libyan Desert Glass has puzzled researchers, but the common belief is that it is a result of a meteorite impact or airburst near the border of Libya/Egypt around 29 million years ago. The glass is nearly pure silica which requires temperatures above 1,600℃ to form (hotter than any igneous rock on Earth). Today it is found scattered amongst the desert sand dunes of the region.
Historically Libyan Desert Glass was knapped for tools. Most famously it was discovered in King Tut's burial chamber - a carved scarab desert glass decorating an ornate breastplate.
A buttery yellow to canary yellow stone with a mysterious past. Shimmering, smooth skin texture that has been sandblasted for thousands of years. As a gemstone, it has a hardness similar to quartz, in the range of 6.5 - 7 Mohs and an RI of 1.46.