Moon Drop Collection

Moon drop set of earrings: Hand shaped from a Lunar Meteorite. These earrings are made from a real piece of the Moon that was ejected by a meteorite impact on the surface of our Moon. The ejecta from that impact eventually landed on Earth as a meteorite. This lunar meteorite is classified as a Feldspathic Lunar Breccia, and was recovered from the dry deserts of Northwest Africa.

Earring Settings: 925 Silver

Description: The Moon Drop earrings are a unique handcrafted set of Lunar Meteorite earrings with center stones hand fashioned from a piece of the Moon. Made from the beautiful lunar meteorite NWA 15368 and set in Sterling Silver.

Dimensions of the Lunar meteorite center stone: 10.6mm x 8.22mm x 1.66mm

Dimensions of the Earring: 31.68mm x 8.22mm x 3.42mm

Official name: NWA 15368

Type: Lunar Feldspathic Breccia

Year Found: 2021

Country: Mali

Parent body: The Moon - this material was ejected from our only natural satellite when the Moon was hit by another meteorite. It should be noted that we do not know exactly which crater this lunar meteorite was ejected from.

Each earring has a unique center stone and it is a completely unique part of the Moon. The center stones for these earrings were ejected from the Moon and recovered in Mali by camel shepherds in 2021. The center stones have been free-hand shaped to find the best qualities in each area of the stone, and making every piece totally unique. The earrings are set in .925 Sterling Silver.

The story: Our Moon takes a lot of hits. This is evidenced by the millions of craters that cover the moon's surface. Thankfully the bombardments have slowed down considerably in the last few hundred thousand years, but they still do occur from time to time. Lunar meteorites are material ejected from our Moon's surface when it gets hit by a meteorite. If the impact has enough energy, some of the ejecta gets thrown so far it escapes the Moon's gravity becoming meteoroids hurtling through space. Some of those lunar meteoroids have the potential to eventually fall into Earth's gravity well and go screaming through the atmosphere to hit the surface. Once they hit the Earth's surface, they earn the designation of being a meteorite. Much later, perhaps thousands of years later, an even smaller fraction of the meteorites that didn't fall into the oceans or onto unrecoverable terrain, are recovered by nomads and others who happen to find them. Nothing short of miraculous odds. To describe them as rare, is perhaps an understatement.

What you get: Set of earrings with center stones of lunar feldspathic breccia meteorite NWA15368 as shown in the images, membrane storage/shipping box, and signed Certificate of Authenticity.

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Northwest Africa 15368

Basic information

Name: Northwest Africa 15368
This is an OFFICIAL meteorite name.
Abbreviation: NWA 15368
Observed fall: No
Year found: 2021
Country: (Northwest Africa)
Mass: 17.84 kg

Classification
history:

Meteoritical Bulletin:	MB 111	(2023)	Lunar (frag. breccia)
Recommended:			Lunar (frag. breccia)

This is 1 of 52 approved meteorites classified as Lunar (frag. breccia).
Search for other: Lunar meteorites

Comments:

Approved 12 Nov 2022

Writeup

Writeup from MB 111:

Northwest Africa 15368 (NWA 15368)

(Northwest Africa)

Purchased: January 2021

Classification: Lunar meteorite (frag. breccia)

History: Found in Mali by camel shepherds in January 2021 and subsequently purchased by Ahmed Salek and sold to an anonymous collector in the US.

Physical characteristics: A single stone with a dark exterior, one side partially covered in caliche. Cut surface reveals a fragmental breccia with many lithic clasts set in a glassy dark-gray ground mass.

Petrography: (D. Dickens, NMMS and A. S. Bell, UColo) This meteorite is a clast-rich polymict breccia with subhedral lithic fragments embedded in a fine-grained groundmass. Fragmental clasts sizes range from <0.1 mm to >6 mm and are primarily comprised of plagioclase, low-Ca pyroxene, pigeonite, augite, and olivine. Minor phases include kamacite and ilmenite. This meteorite is shocked with impact melt textures present.

Geochemistry: (D. Dickens, NMMS and A. S. Bell, UColo) olivine Fa_38.0±2.6, Fe/Mn=100±11.4, n=8; lo-Ca pyroxene Fs_20.7±0.1,Wo_4.0±0.1, Fe/Mn=54±2, n=2; pigeonite Fs_30.1±5.2,Wo_9.5±3.7, Fe/Mn=54±1, n=3; augite Fs_16.9±1.1Wo_36.5±2.8, Fe/Mn=45±1 n=2; plagioclase An_95.9±3.1Ab_2.9±0.7Or_1.2±3.3, n=15;

Classification: Lunar fragmental breccia

Specimens: 40 g with probe mount on deposit at Cascadia, 40 g with probe mount on deposit at UColo, anonymous collector holds the main mass.

Data from:
  MB111
  Table 0
  Line 0:

Place of purchase:	Mali
Date:	P January 2021
Mass (g):	17840
Pieces:	1
Class:	Lunar (frag. breccia)
Shock stage:	high
Weathering grade:	moderate
Fayalite (mol%):	38.0±2.6
Ferrosilite (mol%):	20.7±0.1, 30.1±5.2, 16.9±1.1
Wollastonite (mol%):	4.0±0.1, 9.5±3.7, 36.5±2.8
Classifier:	Dustin Dickens, NMMS and Aaron S. Bell, UColo
Type spec mass (g):	40
Type spec location:	Cascadia
Main mass:	Anonymous collector
Comments:	Submitted by Dustin Dickens