The Luna Plata - Lunar Meteorite Pendant

The “Luna Plata” Center Stone: Hand shaped Lunar Meteorite. This is 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.

Setting and Chain (chain optional): 925 Silver

Description:  The “Luna Plata” pendant is a unique handcrafted Lunar Meteorite Pendant with center stone fashioned from a piece of the Moon. Made from the beautiful lunar meteorite NWA 15368 and set in Sterling Silver. Accompanying 20" Sterling Silver necklace is available for $100 additional.

Dimensions not including bail: Approximately 12mm x 12mm x 5mm 

Dimensions including bail: Approximately 18mm x 12mm x 5mm

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. 

This beautiful moon pendant has been hand crafted and assembled in the US by AZ based artisan Josh Eisler. Each pendant has a unique center stone and it is a completely unique part of the Moon. No two pendants are exactly alike. The center stone for this pendant was ejected from the Moon and recovered in Mali by camel shepherds in 2021. The center stone has been free-hand shaped to find the best qualities in each area of the stone, and making every piece totally unique. The pendant is 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.

ENTRY FROM METEORITICAL BULLETIN FOR NWA 15368

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 Fa38.0±2.6, Fe/Mn=100±11.4, n=8; lo-Ca pyroxene Fs20.7±0.1,Wo4.0±0.1, Fe/Mn=54±2, n=2; pigeonite Fs30.1±5.2,Wo9.5±3.7, Fe/Mn=54±1, n=3; augite Fs16.9±1.1Wo36.5±2.8, Fe/Mn=45±1 n=2; plagioclase An95.9±3.1 Ab2.9±0.7 Or1.2±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