The invention is directed to hermetically sealed optical lithography components or elements that are hermetically sealed by a durable coat of a hermetically sealing material selected from the group consisting of oxide and fluorinated oxide films. The durable coating of the hermetically sealing material is applied to one of more faces of the optical element, either directly to the face of the element or over a selected coating (for example, an anti-reflective coating) that has been applied to the element. The invention is further directed to a method of making hermetically sealed optical elements.