Libyan Desert Glass Genuine Natural Impact Glass Sahara Desert Specimen with Certificate of Authenticity

Genuine Libyan Desert Glass from the Sahara Desert

Offered here is an authentic specimen of Libyan Desert Glass, a rare and highly prized natural mineral glass from the Sahara Desert of North Africa. This piece has been carefully selected for quality, colour, and overall character. The photographs show an example of the actual type of specimen you will receive, representative in size, form, and appearance. Full sizing details can be clearly seen in the images provided.

This is a genuine natural specimen and includes a lifetime Certificate of Authenticity, supplied as a generic card, guaranteeing its authenticity and correct identification.
Weight: 4.502g

Geological Origin and Formation

Libyan Desert Glass is a natural silica-rich glass formed approximately 29 million years ago during the late Eocene. It was created by an extremely high-temperature event, most widely attributed to a cosmic impact or atmospheric airburst over the eastern Sahara. The immense heat generated by this event melted surface sands almost instantly, forming pools and fragments of molten silica that cooled rapidly into glass.

This process produced a material that is neither volcanic nor man-made, but instead belongs to a rare class of natural impact glasses. Libyan Desert Glass is one of the purest natural glasses known, with a very high silica content, giving it its distinctive clarity and colour.

Depositional Environment – Sahara Desert

Libyan Desert Glass is found scattered across a remote region of the Sahara Desert, primarily in eastern Libya and western Egypt. The specimens occur as isolated fragments resting on or within desert sediments, shaped over millions of years by wind erosion and shifting sands.

The desert environment has played a key role in preserving these specimens, gently polishing their surfaces and creating smooth contours, frosted textures, and natural sculptural forms that enhance their visual appeal.

Physical Characteristics and Morphology

Libyan Desert Glass is most recognisable by its pale yellow to golden coloration, often described as champagne or honey-toned. Transparency ranges from translucent to nearly clear, with internal flow structures, bubbles, and swirls sometimes visible, reflecting the violent conditions of its formation.

Surfaces may be smooth, pitted, or naturally etched by wind-blown sand, giving each specimen a unique texture. No two pieces are ever identical, making every example a one-of-a-kind natural object.

Scientific and Historical Significance

Libyan Desert Glass has long fascinated scientists due to its unusual origin and chemical purity. It has been extensively studied in the context of impact events, planetary science, and extreme geological processes. Its significance also extends into archaeology, most famously as the material used in the scarab jewel found in the burial mask of Tutankhamun, highlighting its value and reverence in ancient cultures.

Collecting, Display, and Educational Value

Libyan Desert Glass is highly sought after by mineral collectors, impact-event enthusiasts, and those interested in rare natural materials. It makes an exceptional display piece due to its colour, translucency, and organic sculptural forms. It is equally suited to educational collections, where it serves as a tangible example of extraterrestrial or high-energy geological processes.

This specimen has not been artificially altered, polished, or reshaped, preserving its natural form as shaped by geological forces and desert erosion.

Supplied with a lifetime Certificate of Authenticity and representing the exact type of specimen you will receive, this Libyan Desert Glass is a genuine and remarkable piece of Earth’s deep-time history, formed in an instant yet preserved for millions of years in the sands of the Sahara Desert.