In 2017, a single small, fresh stone was found in the Moroccan Sahara. It was analyzed and classified a polymict diogenite breccia from Asteroid 4 Vesta. It has a pristine, fine-grained matrix that is peppered with contrasting inclusions. There was a little over a half-pound of this meteorite before cutting and classification and I can’t get any more of it. These pieces were left over from slicing that small stone.
Refer to the photo. The black centimeter cube is shown for scale and is not included. You are purchasing a single small fragment like the one shown. Your purchase will include a labeled gemjar for safe storage.
From the Meteoritical Bulletin entry on NWA 11454 :
Purchased: 2017 Apr
Classification: HED achondrite (Diogenite, polymict)
History: Purchased in April 2017 from a dealer in Erfoud, Morocco.
Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Breccia consisiting mostly of angular grains of diogenitic orthopyroxene (exhibiting undulose extinction) plus sparse harzburgitic diogenite clasts and rare subophitic eucrite clasts set in a sparse finer grained matrix. Other minerals are exsolved pigeonite, calcic plagioclase, silica polymorph (some rimmed by orthopyroxene+olivine), chromite, ilmenite, merrillite and troilite.
Geochemistry: Diogenitic orthopyroxene (Fs26.3Wo5.2; Fs31.9Wo3.70; FeO/MnO = 28-30; N = 2), host orthopyroxene (Fs52.5-53.1Wo3.1-3.2, FeO/MnO = 28-29, N = 2), clinopyroxene exsolution lamellae (Fs21.7-26.3Wo43.7-42.0, FeO/MnO = 26-28, N = 2), orthopyroxene rim on silica grain (Fs32.5Wo1.1, FeO/MnO = 34), olivine rim on silica grain (Fa44.5, FeO/MnO = 55), olivine (Fa51.8-52.5, FeO/MnO = 49, N = 2), plagioclase (An90.1-93.7Or0.6-0.4, N = 2).
Classification: Polymict diogenite breccia.
