This Trinitite specimen originates from the Ralph Emerson Pray Collection, a historically significant mineral collection assembled by respected mineral dealer and collector Ralph E. Pray.

Trinitite is a rare green glass created during the Trinity nuclear test on 16 July 1945, the first detonation of an atomic bomb as part of the Manhattan Project. The explosion generated temperatures hot enough to melt the desert sand and surrounding minerals at the test site in New Mexico. As the molten material cooled rapidly, it solidified into a thin glassy substance now known as Trinitite.

Natural Trinitite typically displays an olive-green colour and glassy texture, often containing bubbles, vesicles, or inclusions of partially melted desert sand and mineral fragments. Each specimen represents material formed at the exact location of the first nuclear weapons test in history.

Today, Trinitite is considered both a geological curiosity and an important historical artefact associated with the Atomic Age. Collection of new material from the Trinity Test Site is prohibited, meaning specimens circulating in the collector market originate from historical collections assembled during the years following the test.

Specimens with documented provenance, such as those from the Ralph Emerson Pray Collection, are particularly desirable to collectors of minerals, historical artefacts, and nuclear age materials.

What is Trinitite?
Trinitite is a green glass formed when the intense heat from the first atomic bomb test at the Trinity Test Site in New Mexico on 16 July 1945 melted desert sand and minerals during the explosion.

How was Trinitite formed?
The Trinity nuclear explosion produced temperatures exceeding several thousand degrees Celsius. The heat fused the desert surface materials into molten glass which cooled rapidly and solidified into thin green fragments scattered around the blast site.

Why is Trinitite collectible?
Trinitite is historically significant because it was formed during the first nuclear weapons test in history. Since new collection from the site is no longer permitted, specimens from older collections are increasingly scarce.

Location
Trinity Test Site, Jornada del Muerto Desert, New Mexico, USA

Collection
Ralph Emerson Pray Collection

Please Note
Please note we will select a piece from our collection.