Lot 791
Libyan Desert Glass. Tektites are a mixture of earth rocks mixed with a sprinkling of meteorite material from an immense explosive event that occurred when a very large rocky meteorite vaporized before impacting the earth. The resulting mixture forms glass-like mixture. The color is usually black but it can also be green or yellow depending on the amount of silica present. This huge 5 x 3.5 x 2.75 inch 896 gram (nearly two pounds) specimen of Libyan Desert Glass is unusually pristine from being buried in the Sahara sand (near the border of Libya and Egypt) with no sandblasting on the surface and a surface covered with small craters formed when gasses escaped when the glass solidified. It is a rather uniform medium greenish yellow color and somewhat reflective on all sides except for the flat bottom. Throughout the specimen there are small white spheres of Cristobalite which is a form of quartz that only forms at very high temperatures above 1470 degrees centigrade. The presence of Cristobalite proves the meteorite impact origin of Libyan Desert Glass as the only other way it could form in the desert would be from a volcano and there was never a volcano anywhere near this area. Such a large pristine piece of Libyan Desert Glass is rarely encounterd and is especially valuable as a small 125 gram specimen sold for over $6000 in a New York auction in October, 2007. Comes displayed on a 4.5 inch Illusion stand.
Add $20 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $800 - 1,200
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