Stony Iron meteorite, anomalous pallasite - PAL-ANOM, Erg Chech Sand Sea, Algeria
While this is similar to the previous lot in that both are pallasites, there is far less Erg Chech 007 than Admire and it has a special classification. It was classified as being anomalous as its elemental composition doesn’t fit neatly into any other known group. The slice now offered originates from a mass discovered in the Algeria’s Erg Chech Sand Sea. Despite a relentless search for more specimens, only one specimen weighing just eight kilograms was found.
Of the 71,000 different meteorites documented in scientific literature, only 160 are pallasites — the most beautiful extraterrestrial substance known. There are three broad classes of meteorites: STONES (which come from the crust and mantle of asteroids and the planet Mars), IRONS (which come from the core of asteroids that broke apart) and STONY IRONS (a combination of the two — and in the case of pallasites, they originate from the mantle/core boundary of an asteroid that broke apart and no longer exists).
When an asteroid breaks into pieces after a catastrophic collision with another asteroid, the interior section of the asteroid becomes liberated, and sometimes some chunks find their way to Earth. Olivine and crystals of peridot (gem quality olivine and the birthstone of August) are present in the current offering.
In this complete slice — one side of which is polished while the other is etched — rounded crystals of amber-hued extraterrestrial olivine and peridot are suspended in a metallic matrix which originated from the core of an asteroid which no longer exists. And while speaking of no longer existing, because this slice originates from a small single mass, Erg Chech 007 will soon be off the market, and this is an excellent example of the most beautiful extraterrestrial substance known.
85 x 125 x 2mm (3.33 x 5 x 0.1 in.) and 64.3 grams
