LIBYAN DESERT GLASS PENDANTS

Libyan desert glass is a type of tektite/impactite, a yellowish natural glass mineral that forms when silica is exposed to extreme heat and pressure. Libyan desert glass may have formed when a meteor shower imapcted the Sahara Desert nearly 29 million years ago. For many years scientists have believed that the mineral was the result of an extremely large air-blast, roughly 100 megatons, caused by an explosion in space near Earth’s atmosphere. After extensive analysis, scientists discovered that Libyan desert glass was indeed created by meteor impacts.

The primary component of this glass is lechatelierite, a molten silica glass similar to quartz but lacking a crystal structure. This desert glass can be different shades of green, tan, and brown depending on the inclusions present when the glass formed. Tektite formation typically occurs after meteoric activity, when material is superheated and thrown into the atmosphere by the impact and rapidly cools. It has many characteristics similar to sea glass, though this mineral happens to have cosmic origins. Collectors enjoy the extraterrestrial nature of this tektite's formation and the striking translucent colors of this glassy material.