Born of Impact and Fire Desert Glass
Libyan Desert. Circa 29 Million Years Ago. Glass (silica).
In 1922, history was forever changed when British archaeologist Howard Carter stepped into the untouched tomb of Tutankhamen, the boy king who reigned over Egypt nearly 3,300 years ago. Among the treasures of unimaginable splendor, one object stood apart, a magnificent breastplate, fashioned in gold and silver, and set with a gemstone of strange, unearthly beauty, carved as a scarab. Libyan desert glass.
This glass is unlike any other substance on Earth. It was forged about 29 million years ago, after an asteroid or a meteorite hit probably a sandstone area on ancient earth. The force of the airburst, with a staggering 100 megatons of energy, unleashed searing heat and unimaginable pressure. At temperatures exceeding 1,600°C, far hotter than any natural rock-forming process known on Earth, this glass, almost pure silica, formed. From this cosmic violence was born a gemstone at once terrestrial and celestial. A jewel born of the stars yet found on earth.
