Gibeon Meteorite Fragment - A Rare Window into Deep Time
Size: 21mm x 11mm x 12mm Approximately
Weight: 9.0 grams
Origin: Namibia, Africa
Classification: IVA Fine Octahedrite
Provenance: Ex Karl Sprich Collection - Pre-2012 Legal Export
The Gibeon Meteorite stands as one of the most coveted specimens in meteorite collecting, having traversed the cosmos for 4 billion years before arriving in the Kalahari Desert. First documented in 1836, this exceptional iron meteorite was scattered across Namibia's Great Namaqualand in prehistoric times, creating one of Earth's most celebrated strewn fields.
What makes Gibeon truly irreplaceable is its conservation status—the Namibian government declared all Gibeon meteorites national monuments in 2012, making export illegal and rendering existing specimens increasingly rare. This 9-gram piece represents a finite resource from a closed supply, with no new material entering the market.
Composed of iron-nickel alloy with traces of cobalt and phosphorus, each Gibeon fragment reveals the mesmerizing Widmanstätten pattern when etched—a crystalline structure that formed over millions of years in the zero-gravity, near-absolute-zero conditions of space. These geometric lattices cannot be replicated on Earth, making them nature's most exclusive artwork.
A prestigious addition to any collection, this Gibeon meteorite is more than a specimen—it's a protected piece of cosmic heritage, a 4-billion-year-old artifact that grows rarer with each passing year!
