SKU:S410

Aletai Meteorite High Iridium Gold Content

Name: Aletai Meteorite High Iridium Gold Content
Brand: ForeverGems_Tuc26
SKU: S410
Price: 420.00 ZAR
Availability: InStock

Aletai Meteorite High Iridium Gold Content

R420.00 ZAR

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1 in stock

What makes the Aletai meteorite scientifically extraordinary is not just its size or its strewn field — it's what's inside. Geochemical analysis of Aletai specimens reveals elevated concentrations of cobalt, gold, and iridium that are unusual even among IIIE iron meteorites, and that contributed significantly to confirming that all known Aletai masses — formerly catalogued as Armanty, Xinjiang, and Ulasitai — originated from the same parent body.

Iridium is one of the rarest elements on Earth's surface, but relatively more abundant in meteoritic material — a legacy of its concentration in asteroid cores. The presence of elevated iridium in the Aletai meteorite, alongside gold and cobalt, is a direct chemical signature of this specimen's deep-space origin, forged in the metallic heart of an ancient asteroid before being scattered across Northern Xinjiang in a fall that left behind the longest meteorite strewn field ever recorded: at least 430 kilometres.

Classified as an anomalous IIIE coarse octahedrite unlike any other known sample, the Aletai was formally named in 2016 after the Altay Prefecture in China, following the unification of all known fragments. Total recovered mass exceeds 74 tonnes. This is a meteorite where the chemistry itself tells a story unlike anything else in the collecting world.

The Specimen Details

✓ Meteorite Type: Anomalous IIIE Iron Meteorite (Coarse Octahedrite)

✓ Composition: Kamacite, Taenite, Plessite; elevated Cobalt, Gold & Iridium

✓ Accessory Minerals: Schreibersite, Troilite, Cohenite, Haxonite, Daubréelite

✓ Strewn Field: 430+ km — longest ever recorded on Earth

✓ Total Recovered Mass: Exceeds 74 tonnes

✓ Fall Location: Northern Xinjiang (Altay Prefecture), China

✓ First Identified: 1898 (as Armanty); formally named Aletai in 2016

✓ Specimen Size: ≈23mm x 22mm x 12mm

✓ Weight: 22 gram

Own an Aletai meteorite rich in iridium, gold, and cobalt — a chemically extraordinary specimen from the world's largest strewn field.

Before You Add to Cart ✨

Online Only: This exact piece is available online only. Similar pieces may be available in store so please check with us before you visit Forever Gems in Franschhoek. Want to view it in-store? Just ask — we’ll arrange it.

Photos: We shoot for accuracy, but colors may vary slightly by screen or lighting.

Size & Weight: Full details are in the description. Please check before buying.

What You See Is What You Get: The item pictured is the exact piece you’ll receive.

Authenticity Guaranteed 🛡️

Every specimen at Forever Gems is personally hand-selected and verified. We source exclusively from trusted IMCA-registered dealers, artisanal miners, and long-standing partners we meet with annually at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show.

Any replica or reproduction fossils are always clearly labeled and sold separately.

Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee

We stand behind the authenticity of every fossil we sell. If a fossil purchased from Forever Gems can be scientifically proven not to be authentic, it may be returned at any time for a full refund, provided supporting proof is supplied. This lifetime authenticity guarantee is in addition to our standard 30-day return policy.

Rather than paper certificates, we rely on over 13 years of experience, expert knowledge, and trusted supplier relationships to ensure authenticity and quality.

Shipping & Collection 🚚

We ship nationwide with The Courier Guy and RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers primarily and worldwide with FedEx. Tracking provided on all orders.

Local pickup: Wellington by appointment, Franschhoek Store Fri–Sun, or Franschhoek Village Market Saturdays (weather permitting).

Own courier: We’ll notify you when ready for collection from Wellington, SA.

International: Shipping options show at checkout. Duties/taxes, if any, are paid by the buyer.

All specimens are securely packaged to arrive safely. Questions? Contact us

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