Out of This World Gift Ideas
Looking for an out-of-this-world gift for that special someone? Look no further than a rare specimen of lunar material.
Discovered in 2021 in the Libya, Adjabiya 001 was a collection of rare lunar meteorites in total weighing an impressive 28.8kg. Due to their remarkable size, slices, like that seen above, were created in order to witness the stunning interior better. The slice seen above was then polished and a bespoke display stand was created.
Adjaybiya 001 consists primarily of fragmental pyroxene, olivine, augite and anorthite and survived a high shock level when crashing into the Earth’s crust. Having survived the entry to Earth without burning up, scientists then examined the structure of the breccia which was found to be composed of unusually large, angular, light-gray lithic clasts and related crystalline debris within a sparse fine-grained and in part microvesicular matrix
This slice measures an impressive 8.5 x 6.5 x 0.2 cm and weighs 25g. Despite being discovered in 2021, the rock within the meteorite itself was actually formed around 3.8 billion years ago.
Lunar meteorites (lunaites) unique circumstances for entry into the atmosphere and their feldspathic composition, make them one of the rarest substances on Earth. Only 0.7% of all meteorites found on Earth contain lunar material, with a total mass of approximately 1026 kg as of December 2022. Due to elemental testing, scientists have found lunar meteorites to be the only group of meteorites for which the source body can be identified unequivocally.
The first lunar meteorite was discovered in Antarctica in November 1979 called ‘Yamato 791197’ however its lunar origin was not confirmed until later. Most lunar meteorites have been found in the Sahara Desert of Northern Africa and in the desert of Oman, almost exclusively by local people and experienced meteorite hunters.
Lunar Slice
Ajdabiya 001
Feldspathic melt matrix breccia
Approximately 3.8 billion years old
8.5 x 6.5 x 0.2 cm
25 grams
Ajdabiya, Libya
Bespoke stand included
£3,500.00
More Out of This World Gift Ideas
Nantan Meteorite
Approximately 4.5 billion years old
30 x 24 x 8 cm
Found in Nantan, China
Bespoke stand included
£16,000.00
Lunar Meteorite
Ajdabiya 001
Feldspathic melt breccia
Approximately 3.8 billion years old
7 x 9 x 8.5 cm
496 grams
Found in Ajdabiya, Libya
Bespoke stand included
£16,000.00
Mars Slice
NWA12269
Approximately 3.8 billion years old
6 x 4 x 0.2 cm
North-West Africa
Bespoke stand included
£4,000.00
Campo Del Cielo Meteorite
Approximately 4.5 billion years old
8 x 9 x 13.5 cm
10 x 10.5 x 21.5 cm with stand
2.34 kg
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Bespoke stand included
£4,000.00
Rare Natural History Gift Ideas
From rare dinosaur skulls and iridescent ammonites to gogottes and crystals, Extraordinary Object’s collection of natural history holds an abundant collection that date back millions of years from across the globe.
Rare Gogotte Formation
‘Poseidon’
30 million years old
26 x 51 x 12 cm
18.45 kg
Fontainebleau, France
£5,500.00
Edmontosaurus Vertebrae
Edmontosaurus annectens
Late Cretaceous (68-66 million years ago)
57 x 26 x 7 cm
Hell Creek Formation, Wyoming, USA
£3,500.00
Fossilised Megalodon Shark Tooth
Otodus megalodon
Early Miocene (23 million years ago)
13.5 x 12 x 3.5 cm
North Carolina Coast
£2,500.00
Fossilised Megalodon Shark Tooth
Otodus megalodon
Early Miocene (23 million years ago)
13.5 x 12 x 3 cm
North Carolina Coast
£2,500.00
Still stuck for gift ideas, why not check out our Christmas Gift Guide 2024 which includes rare prints, more natural history and exclusive for December 2024, Alma Singer clothing and notebooks. To find out more about any of the works featured, please get in touch.