All About Libyan Desert Glass

Libyan Desert Glass isn’t actually from Libya—it’s found in the eastern Sahara of Egypt, near the border with Libya. The name is misleading, but the science is solid: this natural yellow glass was formed over 28.5 million years ago by a meteor impact so intense it vaporized surface rock across the desert.

For a long time, scientists thought this glass might have formed from an airburst—like a meteor exploding in the atmosphere. But high-pressure minerals, including shocked zircon, confirmed the real origin: a direct impact. The heat and pressure were enough to liquefy surface sand, which then cooled into pale yellow to almost clear glass—some of it gem-quality.

Libyan Desert Glass is incredibly rare and no longer exported.
The Egyptian government has classified it as a protected cultural resource, meaning any glass legally obtained outside of Egypt is either from old collections or smuggled. If you're buying some now, it’s either a legacy piece—or worth a lot of questions.

This glass was revered even in ancient times. A carved scarab made from Libyan Desert Glass was found in the jewelry of King Tutankhamun—making it not just geological, but historical.