Fulgurite

Sometimes called petrified lightening or as I like to call it “Thors Glass” is a natural glass tube formed when lightening strikes silica rich sand, soil or rock. The intense heat of the lightening instantly melts the silica and sand which quickly cools and solidifies into a hollow glassy sand structure which takes the form of the lightening that made it. This usually results in a hollow glassy sand tube and sometimes a branching tree like shape. The type of minerals and their concentration will dictate the color. They can be found all over the world with prominant places being Morocco, Libya, Egypt, and USA. Fulgurites get their name from the process that makes them “fulguration” which is very similar to tektites which are made by a meteorite impact onto silica except its with lightening

Hardness: 5.5 – 6.5
Composition: SiO₂