Libyan Desert Glass “LDG”- NOT a Tektite!
Origen: Sahara Desert, Eastern Libya, Western Egypt
- Solar Plexus Chakra (although it can be potent within all of the Chakras)
- 6.5-7 on the Mohs Hardness Scale
- Fully activates will-power and focuses on empowerment & strength
- Enhances creative energy flow
- Repels negative and fearful emotions
- Increases confidence and life force
- Brings you a greater understanding of history, your ancestry and your fellow beings around the Galaxy
- Great for Manifestation- Helps to bring focus to precisely affirm your goals to the Universal
What is a Tektite? The REAL 411!
In order to understand why this topic is highly debated by scientists as well as many rockhounds; Whether Libyan Desert Glass, also known as Libyan Gold Tektite or Great Sand Sea Glass, should be classified as a “Tektite” or not, you must first learn what a Tektite is. Be sure to read to the end so you don’t miss important ancient knowledge of this impact glass and feel free to comment if you have additional information or facts you’d like to share!
Tektites, like Moldavite and Indochinite, are also different types of impact glasses like Libyan Desert Glass. But what is classified as a Tektite is the fact that not only did they also form from meteoric impacts, they also then ejected from their particular impact site in a molten form, back up into the atmosphere, and then fell back down to the ground. Their (Tektite) forms are primarily affected by aerodynamic forces from falling back down through the atmosphere in their molten state, causing the many different variations of forms and textures that we see in a Tektite such as Moldavite.
Impact glasses like Libyan Desert Glass or Darwin Glass are just classified as impact glasses, as they did not eject far from the impact site and they did not fly back up through the atmosphere in a molten state, which would have very much affected their form or final state, as we find them today.
This is exactly why Libyan Desert Glass and Moldavite look so different from each other. Tektites such as Moldavite have many different shapes which we have classified as species of their own due to the different formations caused when falling back down to the ground. The primary shapes of Moldavite that were ultimately formed from the original “drop” shape are: Drops, Disks, Ellipsoid, Spheres and Dumbells.
There are no such “drop” or “barbell” shapes or formations of Libyan Desert Glass because they did not eject back into the atmosphere upon impact, and then plummet back down in a molten state causing the many various formations of what we call a “Tektite”.
Libyan Desert Glass is connected to many different theories including those involving extraterrestrial beings. There are also arguments surrounding the impact origin of this glass as no particular crater site has ever been found. These theories also stray very much from the subject of this piece though, so if you’re anything like me and like to dig a little, or a lot deeper, I suggest researching some of these theories as they’re rather interesting and will definitely make your mind spin. Just don’t get stuck, as I almost did!
I do, however, cover some of the amazing history of this impact glass as you read on. Now that we know that Libyan Desert Glass simply cannot be classified as a Tektite, let’s dig into some of the fun stuff...
Metaphysical Properties of Libyan Desert Glass “LDG”
You may use this beautiful piece in meditation to activate your will-power, giving you the strength to let go of the things that no longer serve you. Wearing your LDG enhances various psychic gifts that you may not have even known you had. It expands the energy field around it, opens and cleanses the lower chakras, and facilitates shamanistic journeys.
LDG also enhances creative energy flow, so you can simply keep it next to you (within your energy field), when planning out a new project or while working on a particular hobby or skill that requires creativity.
LDG is said to repel negative or fearful emotions, also making it a great piece to wear as jewelry while going about our daily lives and routines.
Sourcing Your Libyan Desert Glass
Many of the incredibly talented wire wrappers like Eddy Wraps Gems who is easily found on Instagram (with over 27.6K followers), create some of the most stunning necklace pendants (and more), sometimes combining both Libyan Desert Glass and Moldavite.
Eddy Wraps or “Eddy Wraps Gems” is of Armenian descent and located outside of Chicago, Illinois, USA. Not only is he extremely talented in his custom and self-inspired wire wrapped pieces, he also has a huge variety of high end crystals, tektites and mineral specimens. His Instagram page is enough to make your jaw drop and continue scrolling in awe! No really, I’m serious! Check out his page if you want to get lost in his amazing collection of rare beauty!
I must mention and give thanks to Winn Carter who owns "The Catalyst Shop" on Etsy. He has been a 5-star seller on Etsy since 2016 and is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to extraterrestrial stones- his favorite being Phenakite. His inspiration comes from his love and passion of different types of crystals, tektites, and more! He has created many elegant pieces, recently expanding his creations and combining some very powerful, high vibrational stones into very unique and beautiful pieces. I personally have a 2.1g AAA grade LDG pendant made by him that I’ve been so attached to ever since I got it in the mail months ago! The love and care he puts into each order (not to mention the amazing free gifts I’ve seen him give to his customers), along with his energy or aura, makes him very well respected among those that are fortunate enough to know him. He will probably teach you a thing or two as well as he did with me when I was creating this blog on Libyan Desert Glass. Thanks to him I was forced to dig a little deeper into the facts and bring you the most factual information I could find- Thanks, Winn!
If you’re looking for a large selection to choose from, Throwin Stones based in Asheville, NC, always has a wide variety of pendants, bracelets, and so much more and they’re always having huge blowout sales! They’re a family run business by Rusty and Nicole, who have over 15 years experience in traveling the world to source some of the most incredible crystals, stones, and tektites (in every continent).
There are many other talented jewelry creators that work with Libyan Desert Glass, but the above mentioned are definitely worth checking out. If you’re in the market for a custom fabrication or faceted Libyan Desert Glass piece, Bernadette Ontiveros of Jewelmetric makes some of the most beautiful faceted rings and pendants that I have ever seen. She incorporates some of the best combinations of exquisite stones. I recently purchased a Libyan Desert Glass/Amethyst pendant from her and it is truly one of my favorite pieces. Aside from her stunning jewelry, she is such a beautiful and kind soul, I highly recommend you check her out!
If there’s something in particular that you’re looking for that I don’t have in stock, I’m happy to refer you to another trusted and reputable source. Whether you’re looking for a nice single piece (or two, or three, or more!), or you want to show off your LDG by wearing it in a beautiful jewelry piece, there are many trusted sources to choose from. Always do your research when purchasing your Libyan Desert Glass and make sure you’re buying from a reputable person or business.
This is a 1.20g AA Grade LDG photographed on top of an Ancient Script Stone (also found in the Sahara Desert). Image © Copyright 2021 Ashley McCoy
Researching this Exotic Impact Glass
Libyan Desert Glass is one of only two, gem-grade impact glasses on the planet (Moldavite being the second). Natural fragments of Libyan desert glass "LDG" are found along the eastern border of Libya and West Egypt as well as North Africa.
Libyan Desert Glass has beautiful colors that range from light yellow to deep golden color tones. The lighter, more transparent pieces are considered to be more valuable than the deeper golden hues found in other pieces or fragments of LDG.
LDG is made of nearly 98% silica, making it a wonderful piece for lapidaries to carve and polish. Scientists have found that Libyan Desert glass was formed approximately 29 million years ago. Studies have shown that it was formed in temperatures above 1600 C (2,912 degrees F).
Scientists argued for many years about how this mysterious desert glass was formed.
Because no impact crater was ever found in the ground areas where LDG was discovered, many scientists believed that the desert glass may have been formed by an airburst, which occurs more frequently than a meteorite impact. As I stated above, it goes much deeper than that.
In 2019, scientists were finally able to confirm the 100 year old mystery! Libyan Desert Glass was, in fact, formed by a cosmic origin... a powerful meteorite impact!
So how much LDG is out there?
It has been estimated that over a thousand tons (2,000,000 lbs) of Libyan Desert Glass are strewn across the deserts of eastern Libya and western Egypt. Most are the very small (about the size of pebbles), although some pieces of LDG can be considerably large in size and weight — the biggest piece ever found weighs around 26 kg (26,000g or 57.32lbs), as of 2019 although in 2021, this number may have changed.
Still wondering how LDG can serve you??
Watch the video below to learn more about Libyan Desert Glass and how it can serve you in a very calming way! (Side note): If you’re working on past life regression, LDG is a great piece to work with when seeking answers.
Libyan Desert Glass - The Tektite of the Silent Warrior
Ancient History of Libyan Desert Glass
Ancient Egyptians called this tektite the “Rock of God”. When British archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter entered the intact tomb of King Tutankhamun in 1922, he encountered thousands of luxury objects intended to accompany the boy king into the afterworld. Among the items decorated with gold, silver and precious gemstones was a breastplate depicting the god Ra as a winged scarab beetle carrying the sun and moon into the sky. The scarab was carved from a pale greenish-yellow stone (what we now call Libyan Desert Glass). Clearly, this stone was prized above all others around 1323 BCE, being as though it was chosen as the centerpiece for such an important symbol of their time!
Scarab beetle carved from Libyan Desert Glass as the center focal point of this breastplate discovered in King Tut’s tomb in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter
Because of the unusual factors needed to create Libyan Desert Glass, it is truly among the rarest minerals on Earth and surely one that will be forever cherished by those who possess them!
Cleansing Your Libyan Desert Glass
Always be sure to cleanse any new piece you may receive as Libyan Desert Glass carries energy that is over 29 million years old! Sound cleansing is one of the best ways to cleanse any type of crystal or stone. You can use crystal bowls or Tibetan singing bowls, which have a wide variety of sounds (pitches) and sizes.
One of my favorite ways to cleanse any new piece before setting my intentions is by lighting a single white sage leaf and allowing the smoke to surround it until you “feel” as though all negative energy has been cleared. There are many ways to cleanse your stones though so feel free to check them out yourself and see what suits you best!
In Conclusion...
The next time you hear someone refer to Libyan Desert Glass as a Tektite, you can politely say, “that’s just not possible” and you now have all of the knowledge necessary to prove your point. Thank you again to Winn Carter for educating me on these beautiful pieces of impact glass and also to Eddy Wraps for expanding my mind even more on the many possibilities that will forever exist in our mysterious Universe.
July 18, 2021 Ashley McCoy, McCoy’s Rock Shop, LLC
Edited on 10/4/2022
Comments
Post a Comment