Judging quality
Look for the pale yellow-green translucency, frosted wind-polished exterior and internal schlieren swirls. Export is now heavily restricted, so old-collection provenance matters.
Impactite
Libyan Desert Glass
Almost pure silica glass, twenty-nine million years old, scattered across a remote corner of the Sahara by an impact event that has never been fully resolved.
Care
Durable but brittle. Rinse only.
History & lore
A carved scarab of this glass sits at the centre of a pectoral from the tomb of Tutankhamun.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Libyan Desert Glass
- What is Libyan Desert Glass?
- Almost pure silica glass, twenty-nine million years old, scattered across a remote corner of the Sahara by an impact event that has never been fully resolved.
- How hard is Libyan Desert Glass and what is it made of?
- Libyan Desert Glass is a Impactite-family mineral with the composition SiO2 glass. It crystallizes in the amorphous system and rates 6-7 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in pale yellow, clear.
- Where does Libyan Desert Glass come from?
- Notable localities for Libyan Desert Glass include Egypt / Libya (Great Sand Sea).
- How do you tell good Libyan Desert Glass from filler?
- Look for the pale yellow-green translucency, frosted wind-polished exterior and internal schlieren swirls. Export is now heavily restricted, so old-collection provenance matters.
- How do you care for Libyan Desert Glass?
- Durable but brittle. Rinse only.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.