• Location: Libyan desert, Egypt
• Weight: 300g
• Dimensions: 2.4 - 7.3 cm
• DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A fulgurite, also called fossilized lightning or petrified lightning, is a glassy formation that occurs when lightning strikes sand or other quartz-bearing materials. When lightning strikes, the temperature reaches up to 30,000 °C and melts the silica particles. The lightning heats the sand so rapidly that it melts and then quickly cools, forming tubes, cavities, or other glassy structures called fulgurites. These are systematically classified as so-called shock-metamorphosed rocks. Fulgurites can vary in length and thickness depending on the intensity and duration of the lightning strike. The color usually ranges from transparent to pink or brown to black, depending on the impurity content in the sand. The inner walls of fulgurites are lined with a glassy layer formed by the melting of the sand. Traces of partially molten sand grains are visible on the outer surface. Fulgurites are relatively fragile and break easily, which makes it difficult to collect larger pieces and increases their price.