Outer Space Rocks Fine Jewelry The Asteroid Meteorite Collection Set in Silver

Description

INTRODUCING
OUTER SPACE ROCKS FINE METEORITE JEWELRY
THE ASTEROID COLLECTION
THE NWA 6953 MESOSIDERITE METEORITES ARE SET IN SILVER
THIS SET INCLUDES
ONE RING SIZE 7
ONE PAIR OF EARRINGS
ONE PENDANT
MESOSIDERITE METEORITE
Northwest Africa 6953 is an interesting mesosiderite whose unique nature is a result of its composition and the collective effects of long-term terrestrial weathering. The metal content in NWA 6953 has experienced dramatic alteration and has almost entirely been replaced with the iron oxyhydroxide goethite. But it's not the oxidation or alteration alone that makes this meteorite fascinating. Studying how the iron oxidation process takes place on Earth in NWA 6953, a predominantly orthopyroxene-rich meteorite, may have huge implications for comparing how iron oxidation may take place in aqueous environments on other alien worlds.
More importantly, studying this meteorite can potentially reveal clues as what to look for in discovering other highly terrestrialized meteorites that until now have mostly gone unnoticed.
This meteorite probably fell 40-50 thousand years ago when the Saharan desert was sub-tropical. It was not a desert then, and the area experienced rainfall much like any other place on Earth. NWA 6953 was exposed to a much wetter environment, and after many millennia of weathering (at the surface and even during burial and exhumation) nearly all the metal has been replaced with terrestrial minerals. In fact, the visual appearance of the meteorite has been radically changed into a strange and beautiful form that is unlike any other in terms of aesthetics and chemistry. Voids in the meteorite matrix have been filled with terrestrial minerals in crystal form, producing a prismatic effect with internal reflections.
The visual similarities of this meteorite to a weathered orthopyroxenitic diogenite gives some casual credence to the theory that asteroid 4 Vesta may be the parent body of mesosiderites, and when the classification results came back as a mesosiderite, everyone involved was quite surprised. The original metal content (estimated to be about 30-40% by volume) has been replaced by carbonates and goethite. However, the original orthopyroxene, calcic plagioclase, minor olivine and some troilite remain, and even a few rare grains of the original taenite and kamacite have survived. The refractive quality of the crystal mixture is amazing, and another quality of this meteorite is the presence of water trapped within the matrix during the terrestrialization of iron hydroxides.
OFFICIAL CLASSIFICATION DATA SOURCE:
The Meteoritical Society
International Society for Meteoritics and Planetary Science
Lunar and Planetary Institute
Meteoritical Bulletin Database
Northwest Africa 6953
Basic information
Name:
Northwest Africa 6953
This is an OFFICIAL meteorite name.
Abbreviation:
NWA 6953
Observed fall:
No
Year found:
2011
Country:
(Northwest Africa)
Mass:
4.16 kg
Classification
history:
Recommended:
Mesosiderite
[explanation]
This is 1 of 144 approved meteorites classified as Mesosiderite.
[show all]
Search for other:
Metal-rich meteorites
,
Mesosiderites
Comments:
Approved 23 Apr 2012
Writeup
Writeup from MB 100:
Northwest Africa 6953
(NWA 6953)
(Northwest Africa)
Purchased: Sept 2011
Classification: Mesosiderite
Petrography
: The primary metal in this specimen (originally ~30-40 vol.%) has been almost entirely altered by terrestrial weathering, with minor amounts of remnant kamacite and taenite. The other constituent minerals are orthopyroxene, very calcic plagioclase, and troilite.
Geochemistry
: Orthopyroxene (Fs
24.9
Wo
2.5
, Fs
31.8
Wo
3.3
, Fe/Mn=30), olivine (Fa
37.6-37.9
, Fe/Mn=46-47).
Data from:
MB100
Table 0
Line 0:
Place of purchase:
Morocco
Date:
P Sept 2011
Mass (g):
4160
Pieces:
many
Class:
Mesosiderite
Shock stage:
low
Weathering grade:
W3
Fayalite (mol%):
37.6-37.9
Ferrosilite (mol%):
24.9; 31.8
Wollastonite (mol%):
2.5; 3.3
Classifier:
A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS
Type spec mass (g):
118
Type spec location:
UWS
Main mass:
J. Higgins
Comments:
Submitted by A. Irving
Institutions
and collections
UWS
: University of Washington, Department of Earth and Space Sciences
IMCA ( INTERNATIONAL METEORITE COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION )
I AM MEMBER # 9822  JOHN HIGGINS. THIS METEORITE IS FROM MY PERSONAL COLLECTION. I AM THE MAIN MASS HOLDER WITH NO BREAKS IN THE CHAIN OF PROVENANCE. MY NAME MATCHES THE ONE LISTED IN THE METEORITICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN OF WHICH I AM A LONGTIME MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING. I HAVE GONE THROUGH GREAT LENGTHS TO PERSONALLY PROCURE, CURATE, CUT, EXTENSIVELY POLISH AND PRESENT THIS METEORITE. THIS OFFICIALLY CLASSIFIED HIGH QUALITY METEORITE  HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE SCIENCE OF METEORITICS THROUGH RESEARCH LED BY  THE WORLD RENOWN TEAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, SEATTLE.
GUARANTEED AUTHENTICITY
The authenticity of this meteorite has a 100% guarantee. Signed Certificate of Authenticity Included. Comes with acrylic display case/box to protect and show your new meteorite. First class delivery and provenance provided exhibiting important details of the classification & petrography.
1cm scale cube for reference purposes.
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