🌙 Legendary NWA 5000 Lunar Meteorite Moon Rock 1.270 Grams - CRUSTED - THE BEST

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Seller: ancientechoesartifacts ✉️ (14,706) 100%, Location: Laughlin, Nevada, US, Ships to: WORLDWIDE, Item: 202199548691 🌙 Legendary NWA 5000 Lunar Meteorite Moon Rock 1.270 Grams - CRUSTED - THE BEST.

Legendary NWA 5000 Lunar Meteorite Moon Rock 1.270 Grams

 

Gather Around An Authentic Meteorite From The Moon. Lunar Meteorites Are Not All Created Equal. NWA 5000 Is The Highest Rated In The World With A Near Perfect 24.8 Out Of A Possible 25 Points! No Other Lunar Meteorite Comes Close!

 

Do Not Settle For All Too Commonly Offered Undocumented, Self-Paired, Untested and Unverified Material, Lacking Genuine Provenance, Being Offered Up As Ultra-Rare Lunar Meteorites Here On EBay!

NWA5000 is The Real Deal!

 

 

Specifications for this particular specimen:

 

Weight :  1.27 0 Grams

Dimensions :  11m m X 10mm X 4mm

Presentation :  Crusted Part Slice

Inventory No.: A3132-13

Notes : This specimen comes with a Color Identification Card from the world famous Hupe Planetary Collection which has a signed Certificate of Authenticity on the back.  I am the original NWA 5000 Main Mass holder listed in the Meteoritical Bulletin so the provenance is second to none. 

 

 

About This World Record Setting Meteorite From The Moon:

 

Northwest Africa 5000, which was discovered in July of 2007, is the largest intact meteorite from the ancient Lunar Highlands ever found.  Originally weighing in at 25 lbs. 6.6 oz. (11,528 grams), it was massive.  Although the weight is very impressive, its presence is tremendous.  When trying to portray Northwest Africa 5000, one may be at a loss for words -- it is simply too beautiful to properly describe.  It is the most handsome meteorite from the moon ever found -- the contrast is incredible.  The matrix looks like a black and white intaglio print of the universe rendered by a spirited yet masterful artist.  This stone contains breccias within breccias, and the preferential orientation of clasts lends a unique 3-D appearance to flat surfaces.  Generous amounts of shiny metal are present in almost every piece, adding yet another impressive element to nature’s artwork.  Northwest Africa 5000 is by far the most spectacular meteorite from the Moon, and has become legendary, establishing new benchmarks for excellence!

 

Northwest Africa 5000 is not only from the Moon, it actually takes on the appearance of our nearest celestial neighbor unlike any other lunar meteorite in existence.   There can only be one, number one and Northwest Africa 5000 is it.

 

 

This Is Part Of What Makes Legendary NWA 5000 The Very Best:

 

  • Highest rated lunar meteorite in existence with a near perfect 24.8 out of a possible 25 points - Space Science Consulting Services

 

  • Official status recorded in the Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 93 – 1 of 72 approved meteorites  classified as a lunar – Meteoritical Society

 

  • The most documented lunar meteorite in the world with thousands of hours involved in micromanaging every aspect of it including a very detailed website dedicated specifically to NWA 5000 – themeteoritesite   

 

  • Has multiple museum provenances – Royal Ontario Museum and Yale Peabody Museum

 

  • Well studied with 18 peer-reviewed and published scientific papers with more in progress which puts it among the top of this list and it was only discovered ten years ago – Washington University In St. Louis

 

  • The consensus among research scientists, museums and collectors alike is that the aesthetic and scientific qualities of NWA 5000 are unsurpassed – 39th Lunar and Planetary Conference – Houston, 2008

 

  • “It is mineralogically and texturally unique among feldspathic lunar meteorites ” which makes it extremely valuable from a scientific standpoint and lends a stunning 3D appearance to flat surfaces on larger specimens – Planetary Scientist, Randy L. Korotev, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, WUSTL

 

  • Used by NASA Apollo Astronaut and one of twelve men to walk on the Moon, Charlie Duke to promote future missions to the Moon – Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago

 

  • It is one of the rare few lunar meteorites that have no parings, even after ten years of searching, protecting previous and prospective buyer’s investment in it. - Meteoritical Bulletin

 

  • Arguably, the most desirable lunar meteorite in the world - Yale Peabody Museum

 

  • “NWA 5000 is a real miracle ”  Scientists do not usually use terms like this in formal scientific abstracts but then again NWA 5000 is not usual by any means – Abstract no. 5231, N. Artemieva, Planetary Science, Institute for Dynamics of Geospheres, RAS, Russia

 

  • NWA 5000’s legendary status is guaranteed.   A Google search of Northwest Africa 5000 produced over one million results on an inquiry (1,120,000 to be exact) and the abbreviated name, NWA 5000, produced an additional 645,000 results – Google

 

Northwest Africa 5000 Extraterrestrial History

 

Northwest Africa 5000 (NWA 5000) was originally part of the moon. In order to comprehend the history of this lunar meteorite, we must first understand the origin of our nearest celestial neighbor.

The most accepted theory of how the moon was created is referred to as the "Giant Impact" theory. Most scientists believe the moon was created when a planet-sized body named “Theia” impacted the Earth. This happened during the very early history of the Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. This impacting body was destroyed during the collision, ejecting material from itself as well as Earth, into space. The fragments from this event were trapped by the Earth’s gravity, orbiting in a large array of debris. Through a gravitational process called accretion, the pieces were brought back together to form the moon.

We know from observation and the Apollo missions that there are two main classes of rocks from the moon. The first type is referred to as "mare" (meaning "sea"), pertaining to the darker areas of the moon mainly composed of ancient (3.0 to 3.8 billion year old) basalt lava flows. The second type referred to as "highlands" pertains to the lighter colored areas of the moon mainly composed of feldspar-rich anorthosite rocks. NWA 5000 is a unique highlands-monomict gabbroic breccia (meaning a type of rock mainly made of fragments of gabbro). The moon is believed to be about 4.5 billion years old and for about 600 million years during its early history was bombarded by pieces left over from formation of the planets. Impacts continued to pulverize the surface of the moon at a decreasing rate, creating the heavily cratered surface. During this time, melting of the lunar mantle produced basalt magma that erupted into the larger basins producing the dark areas of the moon, again referred to as "mare". Knowing this history of the moon, we know that NWA 5000 is ancient, making it older than most known Earth rocks.

The next period of NWA 5000’s existence was relatively quiet until a massive impact event occurring around 3.2 billion years ago created a giant melt sheet of a type of rock referred to as gabbro.  The impacting body left exotic 4.5 billion year old material in this Lunaite solving the mystery of why there is metal embedded in gabbro clasts (something that was never observed before NWA 5000 was studied.)  Another asteroid impact around 600 million years ago was mostly responsible for producing its distinctive brecciated matrix as well as bringing this rock to the surface of the moon.  This is where it was exposed to the solar wind, which implanted Helium 3 gas bubbles into the matrix. Then another impact event ejected this rock from the moon and created the interesting glass veins. According to ongoing studies, this happened around 2 thousand years ago.

After floating around in space for millennia, NWA 5000 intercepted the Earth’s orbit and was pulled in by its gravity. At first it was probably the size of a basketball. When it hit the Earth’s atmosphere at cosmic velocity (an estimated 11-30 kilometers per second) the surface began to heat up. As it heated up, it gave off light, making it a meteor (a shooting star). At this point, material began to ablate from its surface and spalled off as a glowing trail of meteoritic material. During this entry phase into the atmosphere it lost about half of its mass, becoming the size of a bowling ball.

Eventually the Earth’s atmosphere, acting as a brake, slowed it down to about 300 kilometers per hour at about 12 – 16 km altitude, arresting the ablation process. Most meteoroids do not survive this part of the trip thus never becoming meteorites. NWA 5000 then dropped to Earth only under the influence of gravity about 1,000 years ago, landing in the sands of the Western Sahara and thus became an exceedingly rare lunar meteorite.

 

 

Northwest Africa 5000 Terrestrial History

 

This celestial masterpiece lay undisturbed for eons deep in the world’s largest and hottest desert, the Sahara, until it was liberated by some very fortunate hunters of treasure in July of 2007. The meteorite was provided to the famous Hupé Collection after lengthy negotiations. The Hupé Collection is known for possessing the world’s most complete and notable assemblage of planetary main masses.

 

A team of world renowned scientists, photographers, artists and consultants was assembled and sworn to secrecy for months due to security concerns.   The meteorite was then quietly studied at the University of Washington where it was given the informal name “The Rock” because its immense posture commanded more than just the next number in a sequence.  There was no mistaking what rock was being referred to in the laboratories when using this moniker.  Scientists were permitted to select their own type specimen, and a repository amount of 40 grams was committed in advance of the honorific official name Northwest Africa 5000 being assigned.  Washington University in St. Louis and Carnegie Institution in Washington D.C. soon provided additional confirmation of its lunar provenance by way of bulk elemental analysis and oxygen isotope testing.  Several more laboratories including Berkeley Geochronology Center, Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory, Purdue University, ETH-Zurich, University of Arizona, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University have helped to translate the extraterrestrial history of this exceeding rare meteorite from the Moon.

 

Preparation posed its own set of challenges.  It is understandable how nervous a diamond cutter must feel when confronted with the task of cutting the big one.  Even though in the past, we have prepared well over 25,000 meteorite slices, the entire team lost sleep over this one, having never cut something this valuable before.  Only after studying a very accurate casting for weeks and crunching the numbers was our group able to put together a cutting plan.  This would require a flawless execution since the tolerances were within a few millimeters of reaching our preset limits. After careful consideration, a more rigid, precision diamond lapidary saw was chosen to perform the main cuts even though cutting loses would be great.  The freshly balanced, calibrated and sterile saw performed flawlessly, leaving no tell-tale cutting marks on the main mass.  The flat surface (referred to as a window) was then lightly polished by hand using diamond grit.  Most would agree that the end product is the best in the universe

 

Some may ask “Why all of the fuss, aren’t we just talking about a rock?”  Our answer is simple, “A diamond is also just a rock but nowhere near as rare, complex or scientifically important as a rock from our nearest celestial neighbor, the Moon.”  If this rock were brought back from the Moon by astronauts, its proportionate cost would be enormous, much more than that of flawless diamonds.  On the other hand, natural processes brought this rock from the Moon here to Earth.  An asteroid strike on the Moon caused the ejection of this meteorite into an Earth-crossing orbit, which is a much less expensive yet time consuming process.  

 

This meteorite made its public debut at the Royal Ontario Museum from December 20th 2008 to April 15th 2009.  This is the largest lunar meteorite ever to be placed on public display.  It was prominently exhibited in its own 11 by 8 by 2 feet display at the very front and center for the grand opening of the new Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth’s Treasures.  It was intensely popular as patrons viewed it both on the way in and once again upon exiting. 

 

A Special Note On Authenticity:  I carried an officer’s position on the board of directors for the International Meteorite Collectors Association (I.M.C.A.) for a full term and served a second term as a director.   The I.M.C.A. is a nonprofit corporation that is supposed to adhere to the strictest standards of authenticity.  I have been a member of the I.M.C.A. since the beginning, was elected by my peers to serve as an officer on the board of directors and I adhere to the most stringent Code of Ethics in the industry.  My IMCA number is 2185, which can be referenced on the I.M.C.A. website.  It is unfortunate that a few IMCA members, also acting as dealers, are not following the strict protocols put in place by this organization.  The IMCA requires all of its members to honor Meteoritical Society rules which are now being bypassed by some dealers thereby soiling its good name.  Hopefully, newly elected board members will address this major problem and restore its once-perfect reputation.

 

Please Read Important Shipping Information:  $6.80 USPS Priority Mail shipping in the U.S.     An international USPS First Class fee of $14.00 will be charged in addition to final bid price for international buyers unless purchase exceeds $200.00 in which case the shipping costs will be $34.00 for International Priority Mail which includes better tracking.   We combine shipping on multiple orders.  Please wait until the end of the auction session and we will promptly send an invoice including combined shipping.  All items are shipped within one business day of payment.

 

 

**** BE CAREFUL – LUNAR METEORITE BUYERS GUIDE – A MUST READ! ****

 

There is so much unstudied and fake material being sold as “lunar ” meteorites these days that I felt it necessary to comment here since eBay will no longer allow for direct links to websites in auction descriptions.   Unofficial, untested and unverified material carries a lot of risks since it is basically worthless in a secondary market where knowledgeable collectors and museums avoid it.   Every statement below also applies to other meteorites including Martian material which I stopped listing several years ago due to a high degree of fraudulent listings interfering with officially studied material.  These less than truthful offerings hurt honest dealers and collectors alike.  

 

Real Lunar Meteorites Are Exceedingly Rare:

 

I will start off by stating that Lunar Meteorites are not commodities.  There is no set price per gram since they differ greatly from one another with varying degrees of provenance, scientific importance, weathering, preparation, history and aesthetic qualities to name few variables.  Genuine meteorites from the Moon are exceedingly rare, millions of times rarer than diamonds. Would you buy a diamond without proper certification from a reputable laboratory? I didn’t think so.  The total official mass of all lunar meteorites combined is 177 kilograms or 390 pounds consisting of 139 meteorites while the combined weight of diamonds can be measured in metric tons.

 

The Problem Started In 2012 Beginning Around NWA 7XXX:

 

The few lunar meteorite examples that were discovered before 2012 were managed properly for the most part.  It was not until around 2012, starting with Northwest Africa (NWA) series numbers exceeding NWA 7000, that real problems started to take place frequently.  Moroccan dealers, acting as middlemen for the finders in Northwest Africa, began offering material directly at the big Gem and Mineral shows like Tucson and Denver with piggy-backed (stolen) nomenclature (NWA numbers.)  They fraudulently adopted these numbers based on visual appearance alone to official meteorites that were actually studied, peer-reviewed and listed in the Meteoritical Bulletin.  They completely bypassed the Meteoritical Society and the Nomenclature Committees violating protocols set in place to protect collectors and scientific laboratories. 

 

Reputable dealers used to acquire “stones ” directly from Northwest Africa, submit a type specimen to a recognized laboratory, wait for the laboratory results and then wait some more for the Nomenclature Committee to assign an official name before placing meteorites on the market.  Notice I used the word “stones ” instead of Lunar Meteorites.  This is because the convention among professionals is that you cannot call a stone a meteorite until it has gone through the proper protocols.  Genuine lunar meteorites are far too important to bypass this process that has been in place longer than these so-called “dealers” who place untested and unproven material on the market.

 

Terms That should Raise Serious Concerns:

 

Paired – If the dealer’s name doesn’t match the name listed in the Meteoritical Bulletin for the pairing number he/she is using, then a provenance check is imperative.  The dealer should provide you with a complete chain of custody back to the name provided in the Bulletin.   If they cannot provide this information, then it is not worth pursuing.

 

Likely Paired – In other words, no scientist or laboratory has looked at it and likely never will meaning it is worthless. 

 

Provisional – Is supposed to mean that it is waiting for official classification and nomenclature assignment.   If it were a genuine lunar meteorite, then why can’t the dealer wait to have it made official?

 

Classification Pending – Another way of saying the stone is not official and has not been formally classified.  If a classification were really pending, a reputable dealer would simply wait before releasing it to the market.

 

Unclassified Lunar – I like this one since it sounds honest at first glance.  A more honest statement is that it looks like a lunar to me but you will have to send in a 20% or 20 gram type sample to a Meteoritical Society approved laboratory, pay the fees and wait a year to find out if it is indeed a lunar meteorite.

 

Will Be Studied – I would ask the dealer by who and when?

 

Identical To – Means absolutely nothing without laboratory confirmation. 

 

 

Things To Watch Out For:

 

No Name – Means it has not been studied and more than likely is a terrestrial stone.

 

Improper Name – Some use NWA XXXX instead of a number or worse yet, use official sounding names that they came up with themselves.  It is best to avoid this type of material.

 

Uncut Stones And Fragments – How could it have been studied when a cut surface is required to perform laboratory classification work and deliver a type specimen to make it official? At the very least, you should be provided with the scientist’s name and contact information, for verification purposes, that determined that these exact uncut stones and fragments that are being offered are indeed lunar meteorites in their opinion.

 

Ridiculously Cheap Buy-It-Now Prices – You have heard the saying “If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably isn’t.”  Just check on eBay for real lunar meteorites that predate 2012/NWA 7000 with good provenance and you will see that the prices are about ten to twenty times higher.  This is because they are much more likely to be genuine, were managed properly and the correct steps were taken in their formal classifications.  These older NWA lunar meteorites are also well-established with collectors, museums and the scientific community who are all now somewhat leery of the most recent offerings with a very poor track record thus far.  The main problem is that would-be buyers now have to wade through hundreds of listings to find valid, well-managed and official lunar meteorites.  Another old saying is, “You get what you pay for.” 

 

Not Enough Information – Some dealers simply post a Meteoritical Bulletin entry in their descriptions and do not discuss how they came into possession of the material.   If the person’s name in the entry doesn’t match theirs, a satisfactory explanation is required for provenance purposes.  Some simply claim, “from the finder to you ” which means there is absolutely no scientific verification whatsoever and what they are offering is basically worthless.   It is up to the dealer to provide the entire chain of custody in their auction descriptions up front.  Why should a prospective buyer have to ask for this information?

 

Number Of Stones Exceeds Meteoritical Bulletin Entry – It is interesting that some of these self-paired uncut stones or fragments are being offered by the dozens under the same NWA number when much less than the number offered on eBay is listed in the Meteoritical Bulletin.

 

Lousy Material Preparation - It has been my experience that dealers who do not have enough pride to finish slices by polishing out saw marks also take other shortcuts including not getting their material formally classified.  Saw marks are a good indication the dealer is not interested in presentation, just a quick buck.

 

Online Provenance Check – You can get information online by simply typing in the words “Meteoritical Bulletin” into a search engine like Google.  You will find the Meteoritical Society’s database where you can enter the NWA number or name of any meteorite in question.  

 

If concerned about authenticity, ask dealers these simple questions:

 

“Has this exact specimen you are selling as lunar, been officially classified?”

“What is the name of the institution that classified this exact specimen you have paired to another official meteorite?”

“What is its official pairing number or name?”

“If paired, what laboratory made the official pairing and what is the name of the scientist that looked at this exact stone?”

“Can I directly contact the institution who studied this stone?”

“Can you direct me to the specific official documentation that proves your offering has been properly studied and classified and not that of the stone you have this paired to?”

“Will you provide a lifetime guarantee that this is indeed what you say it is?

“How could this specimen have been studied when there are no windows or cuts to expose the interior?

“Why have you not included an ID card with your name on it, is there something to hide?” 

 

Northwest Africa 5000 Is Worry Free:

There are no worries with NWA 5000 since there are no pairings, proper steps were taken in its formal classification and the provenance is perfect.  It is one of the most studied lunar meteorites in the world with a near perfect 24.8 out of a possible 25 point rating!  No other lunar meteorite comes close.  NWA 5000 specimens realize $800.00 to $1,200.00/gram and sometimes more in well-established secondary markets so please keep this in mind when bidding.

 

Thank you very much for looking and if you are bidding, good luck!

 

Copyright © 2017 The Hupé Collection

 

 

  • Item Type: Meteorites & Tektites
  • Featured Refinements: Lunar Meteorite

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