Even though the properties of silicon nitride were well known, its natural occurrence was discovered only in the 1990s, as tiny inclusions (about 2 µm × 0.5 µm in size) in meteorites.
Meskipun sifat silikon nitrida dikenal dengan baik, keterjadian alaminya hanya dijumpai pada tahun 1990an, sebagai inklusi renik (ukurannya sekitar 2 µm × 0.5 µm) dalam meteorit.