Libyan Desert Glass (Tektite) rough & cut set

Item Description

A fine rough and cut gem tektite set from a remote area in Egypt. Tektites are a rare gem meteorite-related material formed by the impact of a meteor into the earth. It is an impact glass (literally) from a strewnfield in the Western Desert of Egypt. The actual impact origin is disputed, however, by some scientists. The impact site has not been located yet, although there is clear evidence an impact happened (e.g., Kleinmann et al., 2001). The major component of Libyan Desert Glass is almost pure molten silica glass, lechatelierite. The unique material was discovered by the international scientific community in 1932 (information from MINDAT) but ancient Egyptians knew of it well enough and you can see artifacts made from this mystery material in museum exhibits of artifacts from thousands of years ago. A sculptural, translucent specimen with typical yellow color and frosted, scalloped faces. The exquisite pear cut gemstone is 3.71 carats mass. A very pretty set.