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NWA 6508 was purchased in September of 2009 from a well-known meteorite dealer. We subsequently had it analyzed at UCLA and discovered that it was an EL3! Filled with abundant whole chondrules and chondrule fragments, this stone is some of the most primitive material from an enstatitic parent body that we have on earth.
This meteorite is what an EL3 should look like. Classified as an EL3 with a shock grade of 1 and a weathering grade of 6 by Dr. Alan Rubin [EL3 S1 W6], this stone is one of the four approved non-Antarctic EL3's. The trouble is that, of those four, only two of them are available at all, as best I can find: this stone and the other EL3 we purchased directly from Morocco, NWA 7406. We purchased these stones from different sources ~2 years apart, and they're visually different from each other, so we're pretty sure they're not paired.
The total known weight of all known EL3 material on Earth is less than three kilograms; all but ~140 grams (excluding the two stones we are offering) was found in Antarctica. In total, less than 500 grams of this type of material is potentially available for collectors.
So, if you're looking for an EL3, look no further. The slices offered below are all sanded on one side and display abundant sharply-defined chondrules; some still exhibit fresh metal.
I also believe that this stone (as well as the other we are offering) adds great weight to the notion that Al Haggounia 001 should not be deemed an EL3. Chondrite groups are defined via chemistry and petrologic considerations such as mean chondrule density (matrix proportion, for carbonaceous chondrites) and chondrule size. No known unequilibrated chondrites exhibit such a low chondrule density as Al Haggounia 001, so, logically, it should not fit cleanly into any group. "EL3, anomalous?" Maybe. I don't know. But that meteorite is not the same breed as NWA 6508 or the other one we're currently offering.
Since the lack of chondrules in Al Haggounia 001 apparently isn't due to heating/melting (as I didn't yet know in my email below), calling it an "EL6/7" or an "aubrite" makes perhaps less sense than if one were to call it an "EL3." But, a better fit that's still wrong isn't what should be finalized. And I'm not just saying it now. I said it back in 2007, well before I had any real personal interest in the matter.
This particular stone has a higher matrix/chondrule ratio than most other enstatite chondrites; it may change our understanding of the formation of enstatite chondrites, as relatively few samples of these meteorites exist, and this is one of the least-thermally-altered specimens in the world. It is likely the most primitive EL chondrite available to the public (download: Weisberg et al., 2014, Primitive fine-grained matrix in the unequilibrated enstatite chondrites, from LPSC).
Without further ado -
5.056 gram complete slice - $1,645
This slice is polished on one side and exhibits a wonderful variety of sharpely-defined chondrules on both sides. Great horizontal iron oxide veining and chondrule-matrix contrast.
5.056 grams - $1,645
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5.678 gram complete slice - $1,700
Stunning chondrules, great variety. Sanded on one side, wire-sawn on the other.
5.678 grams - $1,700
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5.710 gram complete slice - $1,715
Giant porphyritic chondrule, some fresh iron. I included more photos of this slice to show how a single slice can appear in different lights. This stone varies much more with lighting than others I have seen. Sanded on one side, wire-sawn on the other.
5.710 grams - $1,715
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5.876 gram complete slice - $1,760
Great chondrules and veining. Sanded on one side, wire-sawn on the other.
5.876 grams - $1,760
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5.982 gram complete slice - $1,795
Some of the larger chondrule fragments have great shapes - check out that last photo. Sanded on one side, wire-sawn on the other.
5.982 grams - $1,795
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7.744 gram complete slice - $2,325
Same spectacular chondrules and veining as the other slices, but this one also features a prominent iron-rich chondrule (see last three photos, lower left). Sanded on one side, wire-sawn on the other.
7.744 grams - $2,325
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