Also known as Great Sand Sea glass, Libyan Desert glass is a type of tektite formed when exposed to extreme heat and pressure. Libyan Desert glass is believed to have been created  by meteor airbursts and impacts in the Sahara, near the border of present day Libya and Egypt, 29 million years ago. The glass is almost pure silica and would have required temperatures above 1,600 °C to form- hotter than any igneous rock found on earth. When not polished to a glass-like shine, Libyan Desert glass features scalloping across its surface due to the millions of years being naturally sandblasted by Saharan winds.

As early as the Paleolithic, civilizations throughout the Sahara have utilized this Great Sand Sea glass by shaping pieces into tools and decorative items. Even jewelry pieces from King Tutankhamun's tomb have been identified as being Libyan desert glass.