This specimen is an example of anomalous anthraxolite ore. This material is very hard with a metallic luster, numerous crystal faces, and has an unusual composition unlike any other hydrocarbon mineral. This material contains a very mature and reduced form of hydrocarbon that is Pre-Cambrian age. It's formation is related to the massive Sudbury asteroid impact, but the exact process that created this material is still unknown. The material offered here was recovered from private property (Balfour township, Whitewater group strata) which is now off-limits to collection. Very little of this material ever made it to the collector market.
The Sudbury astrobleme is a meteorite impact crater located in northern Ontario Canada. It is the result of a catastrophic asteroid impact that occurred 1.8 billion years ago. The impactor was several kilometers wide and the massive explosion injected large volumes of material into the Earth at the Sudbury site. This event was so destructive, that it punctured the Earth's crust and material from deep inside the Earth's mantle erupted through the wound and mixed with exotic minerals found in the impacting meteorite. This site is now home to some of the world's most productive metal ore mines and this cluster of valuable mineral deposits is a direct result of the impact. If such an event happened today, it would wipe out all life on Earth. Sudbury was, without a doubt, a "civilization killer" - fortunately, humans were not walking the Earth yet when the impact happened!
Material and ores from Sudbury are rich in metals that are rarely seen in such abundances elsewhere, this includes - nickel, copper, iron, cobalt, sulphur, platinum, palladium, iridium, selenium, gold, silver, rhodium, ruthenium, and telerium. Overall, there are many types of material found within the boundaries of the impact structure. Black Onaping breccias, fallback breccias, melts, glassy melts, metallic ores, and impact-shocked native rocks are typical examples of the rich range of materials found inside the astrobleme.
The specimen offered here is a chunky fragment that weighs approx. 44 grams.
Refer to the photo. The black centimeter cube is shown for scale and is not included. You are purchasing the specimen shown. Your purchase will include an ID label.
