A beautiful Libyan Desert Glass specimen (meteorite impactite)

Description: Translucent individual
Weight: 66.60 carats
Class: Impact glass created by ancient meteorite event
Approximate dimensions: 42 mm x 24 mm x 14 mm
Location of find: Libyan Desert
Notes: Attractive specimen with good color, shape and translucency

Libyan Desert Glass (sometimes referred to as Egyptian Desert Glass) is a rare and beautiful impactite, found in only one remote location on Earth, near the Libyan/Egyptian border. It is the result of an ancient meteorite impact which occurred somewhere in the North African deserts. The intense heat and pressure of the impact melted the desert sands into gorgeous shapes, and small pieces of the original meteorite have been found imprisoned within Libyan Desert Glass — a memento of a distant cataclysmic event, suspended in time.

Top quality specimens are translucent, and also display pseudo regmaglypts, possibly caused by wind erosion, or by ablation when molten fragments were thrown into the air following impact. Perhaps the most enchanting of all meteorite-related collectibles, Libyan Desert Glass is now extremely difficult to obtain, as removing material from the site is prohibited by the Egyptian government.

This outstanding specimen came from the collection of a friend of mine — a noted European scientist and author who has close ties with Egypt. It was collected during the 1970s, before the ban on hunting was enacted by the Egyptian government. High quality Libyan Desert Glass specimens are graded by their clarity, shape and color.

If you want a good piece of desert glass, get it now. It is very unlikley that I will be able to acquire comparable specimens in the future.

MEET THE SELLER: My name is Geoffrey Notkin. I am a meteorite hunter, science writer and photographer. I have been actively involved in meteorite hunting for nearly fifteen years and have traveled around the world in search of these elusive space rocks. I have guest starred in two television documentaries about meteorite hunting: The Travel Channel's The Best Places to Find Cash & Treasures with Becky Worly, and with Adam Rogers on PBS in Wired Science. I am also a widely published science author and photographer, specializing in meteorite studies and invertebrate paleontology. My work has appeared in Meteorite magazine, Wired magazine, Meteoryt (Poland), Geotimes, Reader's Digest, Rock & Gem, Seed, Lapidary Journal, and many other national and international publications. All specimens I sell are guaranteed 100% authentic and as described. Meteorite sales help fund future expeditions which, in turn, generate new published works.

If you want to buy a meteorite, buy from a real meteorite hunter!

I accept personal checks, money orders, certified bank checks, Visa, MasterCard, Discover card and PayPal. I strongly recommend insurance on all meteorite sales. Insurance only costs a few dollars and it protects both buyer and seller in the event that one of these valuable specimens gets lost in transit. Please note: We are not responsible for uninsured items once they are handed over to the postal service. Priority shipping, with Delivery Confirmation, for this specimen within the United States is $6 plus insurance (recommended but optional). I offer generous shipping discounts on multiple items. In most cases additional purchases ship free with your first item. Please email me for details. Overseas bidders please contact me and I will be happy to provide exact shipping charges.

All specimens that I sell are packed and shipped with great care and are accompanied by a an official Aerolite Meteorites identification card. Signed Certificates of Authenticity are available at no extra charge, just ask. Gift wrapping is also available.

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I am a member in good standing of the International Meteorite Collectors' Association (IMCA), member number 4242. The IMCA is dedicated to maintaining high standards of integrity within the meteorite collecting community, so you can bid on this item with absolute confidence. I am also a professional member of the Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences, and the Society of Southwestern Authors.

Please email me ANY TIME if you have questions about this meteorite or my other auctions. I am always happy to hear from prospective bidders, and am available to discuss meteorites and meteorite hunting.

PLEASE VISIT MY ABOUT ME PAGE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ME AND MY WORK AND CHECK OUT MY OTHER METEORITE AND FOSSIL AUCTIONS