Rocksday

Libyan Desert Glass

Pale yellow, almost pure silica glass scattered across the Sahara, likely formed by a meteorite impact or airburst about 29 million years ago.

Libyan Desert Glass specimen
Photo: H. Raab (User:Vesta), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify libyan desert glass

  • Pale yellow to clear, sandblasted surface.
  • Bubbles and dark wispy inclusions.
  • Lighter than quartz.

Often confused with

Where it's found

  • Great Sand Sea, Egypt and Libya

Uses

Collector pieces and jewelry.

Rock tumbling

Not suitable for tumbling.

Did you know?

The scarab in one of Tutankhamun's pectorals is carved from Libyan desert glass.

Think you could spot it from a blurry close-up?

Play today's Rocksday