Libyan desert glass is natural glass, not a crystal. It formed from desert sand melted about 29 million years ago, and we do not carry it. Its pale yellow color is its signature.
Natural glass (impact glass; not a mineral)
Libyan Desert Glass
Vidrio del desierto libio
- Palette
- Yellow Clear
- Mined in
- Egypt, Libya
- Hardness
- Mohs 6.0–6.5 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- the Libyan Desert, where it is found
- Also sold as
- Libyan glass, Great Sand Sea glass, desert glass
- Intention
- Protection Strength
- Looking for
- Protection Confidence and self-worth
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Libyan desert glass is natural glass and is cut and polished only. No dye or coating is disclosed for genuine pieces.
Not in our pieces now
3,000 °F
Libyan Desert Glass formed when desert quartz melted at over 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, hotter than the inside of a volcano.
REIDITE
Zircon grains in the glass show they once held reidite, a mineral that forms only under meteorite impact pressure.
26 KG
A 26-kilogram piece of Libyan Desert Glass was shown at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris in 2018.
What it is
Natural glass, usually pale yellow to greenish yellow, sometimes with a faint smoky tint, and often with small bubbles or banding. It is glass rather than a crystal, made from desert sand melted long ago. Strongly colored pieces are rare.
Where it comes from
Libyan desert glass is found scattered over about 4,000 square kilometers of the Great Sand Sea in the eastern Sahara, in western Egypt near the Libyan border.
In history
Libyan Desert Glass formed about 29 million years ago, when a meteorite impact melted desert quartz, and Stone Age people chipped it into tools. A carved scarab of this yellow glass sits at the center of a pectoral from the tomb of Tutankhamun.
What's said about it
The best-known piece is the carved scarab in the pectoral from Tutankhamun's tomb. For centuries it was labeled chalcedony. In ancient Egypt the scarab was a symbol of protection and renewal.
In crystal lore today, yellow stones are kept for confidence and brightness, which is why citrine fans often look at this one. People wear it as a pendant or keep it as a small raw piece on a shelf.
How people wear or keep it: As a pendant, on a shelf, or in a pocket.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, libyan desert glass is paired with the sacral and solar plexus and third eye chakras, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: as a pendant, on a shelf, in a pocket. People reach for it when they want protection, confidence and self-worth, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraSacral, Solar Plexus, Third Eye
ZodiacLibra
ElementFire
Also calledLibyan glass, Great Sand Sea glass, desert glass
Care
- It is glass and can chip or crack, so wear it where it will not be knocked.
- Wipe with a soft damp cloth and dry it; skip ultrasonic cleaners and harsh chemicals.
- Keep it away from sudden heat or cold.
- Store it apart from harder stones so it does not get scratched.
How to tell what you have
- Genuine pieces are a light yellow to pale green natural glass, nearly pure silica, with bubbles, flow lines and tiny white spots under magnification.
- Look out for bright neon yellow or very clean, evenly colored glass, uniform perfectly round bubbles, and very low prices, which suggest man-made glass.
What sets the price
Price follows its rarity (it comes from one desert region), the size and clarity of the piece, how pale yellow to greenish yellow it is, and how well it is cut. Beads are uncommon; pieces are usually sold as cut stones or polished rough.
Questions people ask at our table
What is Libyan desert glass?
A natural glass found in the Sahara, where eastern Libya meets western Egypt. It is more than 96 percent silica, melted from desert sand around 29 million years ago.
How did it form?
Scientists still disagree. Some point to a meteorite impact, others to a large meteor exploding in the air. No crater has been settled on.
Is it a gemstone or a crystal?
It is glass, so it has no crystal structure and is not a mineral. It is cut into cabochons and beads and set in jewelry.
Is it in the Tutankhamun jewelry?
Yes. The scarab in his pectoral is carved from it, and it was mistaken for chalcedony until 1998.
Do you carry it?
No. If you like the yellow, citrine and lemon jasper are the closest colors we carry.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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