Darwin glass – Queenstown, Tasmania

Darwin glass is a natural glass that was formed when a meteorite impacted by remelting the original rock at the impact site. The deposit of this rare glass is located on an area of 410 km² south of Queenstown on the west coast of Tasmania. Interestingly, it is very rare in Darwin Crater itself, which is the source of this glass, and most of the finds have come from the surrounding area.

Origin

Darwin glass was formed approximately 800,000 years ago by a meteorite impact that caused extreme temperatures and pressure. This process melted the surface rocks, which then solidified rapidly to form a glassy material.

Characteristics

Darwin glass is usually green, olive or black in colour, with some specimens being translucent while others are opaque. As with other tektites, Darwin glass contains a high proportion of silica (SiO₂) and other mineral impurities that depend on the type of original rock. Darwin glass comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, from small fragments to larger, distinctively shaped pieces.

Darwin glass is highly collectible due to its rarity and limited findspot.