Liyora Sand

It's called glass, but it's closer to manufactured diamonds in terms of substance. Except that it's made from sand and spread out into sheets of incredible strength and a comparative lack of fragility.

Properties

Material Characteristics

Liyora Sand sparkles in the light. The best of it is very smooth and even, but the less pure varieties can be sharp. It's a very fine sand.

Compounds

The sand is used in the material called Liyora Glass (as humans call it, a Weinadi would just call it Liyoirae).

Origin & Source

Liyora Sand can be found on most saltwater beaches, right at the edge of the water.

History & Usage

History

In early eras, the sand was prized for its ability to hold heat well and to form easily into bricks with the right additives to make good houses. Eventually, it was discovered that heating the sand to a certain degree would fuse the grains into a smooth, translucent material that was incredibly strong.

Everyday use

It's used by all three of the sapient races of Thaiterra, and mainly for the same things. Windows, cups, eyeglasses, decorative elements, all the usual things that someone would use glass for.

Cultural Significance and Usage

Liyora Sand is incredibly important to human culture, because they use it to reinforce their buildings (so that windows are some of the stronger points), and to create part of the protective shell that is the Dome.
The Weinadi use it to create art. Liyora Sand is considered a more pliable material than stone or gemstone or even paint, and thus more valuable.

Refinement

In order to purify it and turn it into Liyora Glass, the sand must be heated to a very high temperature and, if the source of the sand is mixed with more normal sand, or sand from a freshwater source, it must be purified and the dross strained away.

Type

Glass

Color

Almost any color, but mainly blue, green, and gray

Common State

Solid