Glassmaking is an intricate art and skilled labor. While it has been done by human hands for many decades, Nature has been doing this for millions of years. Here are ten types natural glass from around the world that can be used to illustrate this – read here.
Moldavite
Moldavite (or green Tektite) is a Tektite found primarily in Czechia. It formed 15,000,000 years ago. Rarely, specimens include streaks of Lechatelierite.
Georgiaite
Georgiaite (a dark olive green Tektite) was formed 35million years ago. It’s only found in Georgia, the United States. Because it has potassium, it doesn’t contain any other impurities and is very close to being a Lechatelierite.
Tektite
Tektite results when a large impact of a meteor strikes sandy ground. Lechatelierite can be formed if the sand has a high level of silica. Untrained eyes might mistakenly see Tektites for Obsidian as the majority of Tektites is black.
Libyan Desert Glass is an example of Lechatelierite. It is found in western Egypt, Libya and the Sahara. Large numbers of specimens have been found at Kebira Crator (this is the source of LDG). LDG formed approximately 29,000,000 years ago. It was either created by a meteorite impact or an atmospheric explosion.
Atacama Desert Glass
Atacama Desert Glass’s name is derived from the region it is found in northern Chile. This natural glass did not form from a meteorite impact. It was created by an airburst. A majority (but not all) of the ADG specimens will be black.
Edeowie
Edeowie can be described as a natural form of glass found in South Australia. It is not clear where it originated. The three most probable causes are lightning strikes, meteor impacts, and high-temperature grasslandfires. They come in many colors, including black and greyish green.