37. ERG CHECH 007 — RARE ANOMALOUS PALLASITE
PAL-anom
Erg Chech Sand Sea, Algeria
Found 2020 / TKW: 8.3 kg
Similar to lot 22, the complete slice now offered originates from the 8 kg single mass found in the Algeria’s Erg Chech Sand Sea in 2020. When news of this discovery was made, meteorite hunters descended on the area but nothing more from this event was ever found.
Less than 0.2% of all meteorites are pallasites — the most beautiful extraterrestrial substance known. Erg Chech 007, however, is more rare still. Of the 189 different pallasites documented, fewer than 10% possess sufficiently atypical chemical signatures which result in the “anomalous” designation in their classification.
One side of this specimen is polished to a mirror finish while the reverse is etched to reveal the specimen’s natural lattice. Rounded olivine and peridot crystals in a distinctive mango hue are suspended throughout the matrix. Originating from a mass smaller than a bowling ball, specimens of EC 007 are difficult to obtain and this is a select example.
121 x 108 x 2mm (4.75 x 4.25 x 0.1 inches) and 92.3 grams (0.2 lbs)
Provenance:
Macovich Collection, New York City
Estimate $6,000 – 8,000 * Reserve $4,500