28,500,000 years ago, the skies above North Africa were lit up by an asteroid hurtling through the atmosphere. The intense and immediate heat of this event fused the sands of the desert into a yellow-green tektite known as Libyan desert glass. Due to the lack of any visible impact crater, the most likely source is a low-density airburst explosion leading to the fusion of silica-rich sands roughly 28,500,000 years ago. Since then, Libyan desert glass has caught the eye of everyone from ancient Egyptian pharaohs to the scientists of today. the ancient Egyptians called these formations the Rock of God. Today, we know this material is cosmic rather than divine, but its exact origin remains a mystery.

Libyan desert glass is classified as a tektite, a type of rock created from the impact of a meteorite. When the intense heat and pressure of an impact event occurs, it can fuse the surrounding sediments into a new material. In the case of Libyan desert glass, the sand particles of the Sahara were instantly melted into this beautiful yellow-green glass. Another good example of a tektite would be Moldavite, a glassy green silica found around central Europe. Like LDG, Moldavite was formed from a meteorite impact as well, 15 million years ago.

While the airburst formation scenario is the general consensus among scientists, a direct asteroid impact is not impossible. Evidence supporting a direct hit includes the carbonaceous Hypatia stone, found amongst LDG and almost certainly extraterrestrial in origin. The Oasis crater in eastern Libya has been suggested as one possible source, but its great distance from the LDG strewnfield makes this very unlikely. Proponents of the direct hit scenario suggest the lack of a visible crater could be explained by geological processes wiping out this evidence. 

Whatever the nature of the LDG impact, its force was enough to scatter pieces across a strewn field of 2,500 sq mi (6,500 sq km). It was likely still molten in the air during this journey, cooling during its descent to the sands. Because of this massive strewnfield, new pieces of the tektites are still being discovered, though the material is finite. Some scientists have speculated that there may have been multiple explosions, increasing the area of effect. Recent surveys of the surrounding watershed have also provided strong evidence for distribution by erosion, the glass carried even further by terrestrial geological processes.

While the dunes of the Great Sand Sea may seem timeless, during the Early to Middle Paleolithic Era the region was often home to a wetter climate capable of supporting playa wetlands. Further to the south, in what is now one of the least hospitable places on earth, permanent lakes and savanna grasslands supported an even greater abundance of life. Throughout the region, there is plentiful evidence of multiple periods of early human settlement and their own discovery of Libyan desert glass. Like flint or obsidian, our ancestors shaped the glass into tools and decorative items.

Paleolithic cultures were not the only ones to use the glass either. In 1997, a mineralogist named Vincenzo de Michele identified the material used in jewelry pieces from King Tutankhamun's tomb as Libyan Desert glass. The glass was shaped into the body of a scarab centerpiece of a pectoral. This 18th Dynasty find is unique among the gems of ancient Egypt, as it is the only known use of Libyan Glass. The scarab is part of a twofold representation of the sun-god, which in Egyptian mythology could be represented by both scarab and falcon. Today, the pectoral and Tutankhamun’s other treasures are held at the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

This specimen is an authentic fragment of Libyan desert glass. The origin of this material dates back almost 30 million years, to the meteoritic event that created all pieces of LDG we have today. The pieces vary widely in size, shape, and color though most are between 0.75" and 1.5" (2.5-3.5cm) in length.

Also available is our Libyan Desert Glass Pendant! The material is set into a sterling silver backing with an 18" chain also made of sterling silver. It’s not quite King Tutankhamun’s pectoral but it’s a beautiful jewelry piece all its own.