SKU:S224

Aletai Stone-Skipping Meteorite China

Name: Aletai Stone-Skipping Meteorite China
Brand: ForeverGems_SA
SKU: S224
Price: 860.00 ZAR
Availability: InStock

Aletai Stone-Skipping Meteorite China

R860.00 ZAR

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1 in stock

The Aletai meteorite holds a record that no other fall on Earth can match: a strewn field extending at least 430 kilometres — the largest meteorite debris field ever recorded. Scientists believe this extraordinary dispersal was caused by a unique stone-skipping atmospheric trajectory, in which the meteorite entered Earth's atmosphere at a shallow angle, bounced off the upper atmosphere like a stone skipping across water, and then re-entered at a different point before finally breaking apart and scattering its fragments across Northern Xinjiang.

This stone-skipping trajectory is exceptionally rare — possibly unique in the documented meteorite record — and it contributed to the difficulty in recognising the Aletai as a single fall. Fragments recovered at different points along the strewn field were catalogued separately for decades under names including Armanty, Xinjiang, and Ulasitai, before chemical and mineralogical analysis confirmed a shared origin. In 2016, all known masses were formally named Aletai after the Altay Prefecture in China.

Classified as an anomalous IIIE iron meteorite — a coarse octahedrite unlike any other known sample — Aletai has a total recovered mass exceeding 74 tonnes, a Widmanstätten pattern distinct from all other IIIE irons, and a rare-element chemistry featuring elevated cobalt, gold, and iridium. This is a fragment of a truly one-of-a-kind cosmic event.

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: ≈17mm x 37mm x 22mm

✓ Weight: 38 gram

Own a fragment of the only known stone-skipping meteorite fall — the Aletai, from the world's largest recorded 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.

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

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