How to Make Glass With Lightning

Obtain the right type of sand. Florida beach sand is ideal, in that it contains silica, which is what most lightning glass is made from. It is possible to make glass using mountain rock if it has a high concentration of silica or quartz. Since using weather is not a realistic option to make glass from lightning, use a laboratory in which you can use an electrical arc to simulate lightning. Realistically, this is the only to make your own lightning glass.

Use relatively low-magnitude currents of some hundreds of amperes that last for some hundreds of milliseconds to achieve well-formed fulgurites. An arc welder is generally used to create such a current. The appearance of your glass will be affected by whether you use dry or wet sand. Wet sand produces a more curved glass with a more irregular surface. Some of the most interesting fulgurites have been created in triggered-lightning experiments.

Look for lightning glass instead of making it yourself. Because such high temperatures (2000 degrees C) are required to make fulgurites, it is not something you can do in a home setting or without access to a laboratory with the right equipment. Searching for lightning glass is an exciting hobby and can be enjoyed by children as well as adults.

Look for hollowed-out tan, gray or black nearly translucent "rock." A secluded sandy beach is the best place to look. White lightning glass has been found in the Florida panhandle, but white is otherwise not a commonly found lightning glass. Fulgurites are extremely weather-resistant, and some have been found to be hundreds of years old.