Libyan Desert Glass Pendant Value Guide

This pendant features Libyan Desert Glass, a rare impactite formed 29 million years ago when a meteorite struck the Great Sand Sea. Highly prized for its celestial origins, this material was famously used in King Tutankhamun's pectoral scarab, making it a significant piece for collectors of both geology and ancient history.

What Is Libyan Desert Glass Pendant Worth?

The typical price range for Libyan Desert Glass Pendant is $35 - $40 based on recent sales. However, values can vary depending on the item's condition, rarity, and other factors such as:

• Clarity and color intensity, with vibrant canary yellow specimens typically commanding higher prices.
• The weight of the glass specimen, as larger authentic fragments are increasingly difficult to source from the remote desert.
• The quality of the wire-wrapping and the purity of the metal setting, such as sterling silver versus base metals.
• The presence of unique internal inclusions or 'cosmic dust' that proves the material's extraterrestrial impact origin.

How to Identify Libyan Desert Glass Pendant?

• Look for the characteristic pale yellow to greenish-yellow translucent hue unique to the Libyan Desert region.
• Examine the surface for 'regmaglypts' or small aerodynamic pits caused by the intense heat of the meteorite impact.
• Verify the presence of tiny bubbles or dark streaks of lechatelierite, which are common inclusions in natural tektite glass.
• Ensure the specimen is raw or minimally polished to preserve the natural wind-sculpted texture found in the Great Sand Sea.

History of Libyan Desert Glass Pendant

Libyan Desert Glass is a rare type of tektite, a natural glass formed from the impact of a meteorite. It is found only in a remote area of the Libyan Desert, along the Egyptian-Libyan border. Its formation dates back approximately 29 million years. Ancient Egyptians revered this material, with pieces found in Tutankhamun's burial tomb, including a scarab carved from Libyan Desert Glass at the center of his ceremonial broadcollar, indicating its significant spiritual and cultural value.