This lot comprises two ungrouped achondrite pieces in display boxes with collection cards; Erg Chech 002 - 0.49g NWA 6704 - 0.1g Erg Chech 002 Erg Chech 002 is one of the most unusual & unique meteorite finds in recent years. It is an ancient Andesite meteorite discovered in the Erg Chech region of the Sahara Desert in Algeria, and it is believed to be a fragment of a chondritic protoplanet that is over 4.5 billion years old. It is also believed to be the oldest known volcanic rock found on Earth. NWA 6704 From an article in The Meteorite Times by Greg Hupé (June 1st, 2011) NWA 6704 is a most intriguing meteorite unlike any others known to man! Not only does it have tremendous scientific value, it is one of the most visually appealing meteorites with its dazzling display of yellowish-green orthopyroxene crystals containing small grains of olivine and chromite surrounded by large intercumulus grains of albite enclosing small grains of awaruite (a rare very nickel-rich alloy). Oxygen isotope results plot this achondrite within the field for acapulcoites-lodranites, but that is where any comparison stops. NWA 6704 is unlike any other meteorite! If that isn’t enough, this incredible meteorite contains an abundance of ‘bubble trains’ within the orthopyroxene which appear to be void of fluid upon initial inspection. Ongoing analysis are currently being performed to measure the cosmogenic noble gases to determine its CRE age (time spent in space) and to possibly detect trapped gases or even atmosphere from the NWA 6704 parent body! NWA 6704 has a Total Known Weight of 8387 grams in a single, naturally fractured stone that was discovered in Northwest Africa in 2010. In their eagerness to see what was ‘inside’ the stone, the Algerian finders unfortunately broke the largest pieces as can be seen in the image of the reassembled stone above. Also visible are the natural breaks along extended grain boundaries which have been sandblasted over time in the Sahara, smoothing the edges on the largest pieces and a more ‘rounding’ of the smaller fragments. Oddly, NWA 6704 is almost entirely devoid of visible fusion crust; only a single 1.5cm x 2cm patch exists, raising questions as to how this can be. Through a determined effort over a four month period, the distributed parts were purchased by the author and reassembled into a single stone resembling a ‘puzzle’. It is remarkable that the finders were able to collect even the smallest of fragments as can be seen in the image above! I thought it would be a great way to emphasize the diligent recovery effort the Algerian finders did to save practically every grain of this material… and to illustrate what it could have possibly looked like in the wind swept Sahara when first viewed by human eyes! -------- These items come with display cards in foam-lined plastic display boxes, measuring approximately 58x38mm. All our meteorites come with a signed, stamped, & uniquely numbered Certificate of Authenticity. See the 1cm (10mm) scale cube to get an accurate idea of ​​this item's size. Please note: The scale cube is not included with this item. All shipping is by Certified Correos with tracking, or by UPS within the EU where it is not price-prohibitive.