SKU: 98224296542

NWA 17918 Diogenite-pm Meteorite End Cut, 13.33g, Polished Breccia Texture from Vesta

Sale price$114.75 Regular price$127.50
Save 10%

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 10 - Jul 15

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

NWA 17918 Diogenite-pm Meteorite End Cut, 13.33g, Polished Breccia Texture from VestaPolished window into Vesta's deep crust This 13. 33g polished end cut reveals the complex internal architecture of a polymict diogenite breccia. The mirror polished surface exposes distinct orthopyroxene rich clasts set within a matrix of comminuted impact debris, documenting multiple collision events on asteroid Vesta's surface. The cut preserves sharp boundaries between individual fragments, each representing different zones within the asteroid's

Polished window into Vesta's deep crust

This 13.33g polished end cut reveals the complex internal architecture of a polymict diogenite breccia. The mirror-polished surface exposes distinct orthopyroxene-rich clasts set within a matrix of comminuted impact debris, documenting multiple collision events on asteroid Vesta's surface. The cut preserves sharp boundaries between individual fragments, each representing different zones within the asteroid's lower crust or upper mantle. Polishing brings out subtle color variations between clast types and highlights the three-dimensional structure of this impact-assembled rock.

The specimen's form as an end cut provides both a display face showing the full brecciated texture and a natural exterior surface on the opposite side. At 13.33g, this piece offers substantial mass for a diogenite sample while maintaining excellent visual clarity of the polymict structure. The polish reveals grain boundaries and crystal orientations within individual pyroxene fragments.

Orthopyroxene clasts and impact assembly

The dominant mineral phase visible throughout this section is orthopyroxene, the defining component of diogenitic material. Individual clasts range from millimeter-scale fragments to larger domains spanning several millimeters, each showing the characteristic greenish-gray coloration of magnesium-rich pyroxene. These fragments originated as crystallized magma deep within Vesta's interior, later excavated and mixed through violent impact gardening of the asteroid's surface.

The polymict nature becomes evident in the varying crystal sizes and textures between adjacent clasts. Some fragments preserve coarse-grained plutonic textures from slow cooling at depth, while others show finer crystallization patterns. The matrix binding these fragments consists of crushed diogenitic material, lithified through impact compression and heating. This assemblage records the cumulative effect of countless impacts that have processed and reprocessed Vesta's crustal material over 4.5 billion years.

Scientific context

Diogenites represent the deepest crustal samples from asteroid 4 Vesta, the second-largest body in the main asteroid belt. These rocks crystallized from magma chambers several kilometers beneath Vesta's surface during the asteroid's early differentiation. The Dawn spacecraft mission confirmed the connection between HED meteorites and Vesta through spectroscopic mapping and geochemical analysis, making diogenites among the few meteorite types with a confirmed parent body.

The polymict classification indicates this specimen formed through impact brecciation on Vesta's surface, where collisions mixed fragments from different depths and locations within the diogenitic crust. NWA 17918 was classified in 2025, making it one of the most recently recognized members of the diogenite group. Study of such specimens helps planetary scientists understand the internal structure of differentiated asteroids and the processes that have modified their surfaces over billions of years. For broader context on meteorite identification and classification, see our guide on How to Tell if a Rock is a Meteorite.

Frequently asked questions

Is this meteorite authenticated? Yes, NWA 17918 is officially classified as diogenite-pm by the Meteoritical Society. You can verify this classification through the Meteoritical Bulletin entry: NWA 17918. This specimen includes a certificate of authenticity documenting its classification and provenance.

What does polymict (pm) mean? Polymict refers to a breccia containing fragments from multiple source rocks or locations. In this diogenite, polymict texture indicates that impacts on Vesta's surface mixed clasts from different depths or regions within the diogenitic crust, then lithified them into a single rock. The "pm" designation distinguishes this from monomict diogenites, which contain fragments from a single source.

What is included with this specimen? You receive the 13.33g polished end cut and a certificate of authenticity. No display stand is included.

Why is the HED-Vesta connection scientifically important? HED meteorites are the only achondrite group with a confirmed asteroidal parent body, verified by NASA's Dawn mission data. This connection allows scientists to study Vesta's geology through laboratory analysis of meteorites while comparing results to spacecraft observations, providing unique insights into asteroid differentiation and crustal evolution.

How should I display a polished end cut? The polished face shows the internal structure best when viewed flat or at a slight angle under good lighting. Many collectors use small acrylic easels or lean the specimen against a backdrop to showcase both the polished surface and the natural exterior edge.

Collector significance

Diogenite-pm specimens occupy a specialized niche in HED collecting, representing the deepest crustal material from Vesta available to private collectors. Only 74 meteorites carry the diogenite-pm classification, making this subtype substantially rarer than eucrites or howardites. The 13.33g mass provides sufficient size to appreciate the clast structure while remaining accessible compared to larger museum-grade pieces.

The 2025 classification date places NWA 17918 among the newest diogenite additions to the Meteoritical Bulletin, offering collectors an opportunity to acquire recently classified material. The polished preparation reveals structural details invisible on uncut specimens, making this format particularly valuable for collectors focused on understanding impact processes and asteroid geology. This specimen fits well in collections emphasizing Diogenites or broader HED Meteorites representing all three components of Vesta's differentiated crust.

Meteoritical Bulletin entry: NWA 17918 | Classification: Diogenite-pm | Find, Algeria, 2025

Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 98224296542

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.7 ★★★★★
Based on 1222 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
K
Verified Purchase
Kimberly B
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 4
not bad
Format: Kindle
I loved the plot of this book. The characters just didn’t have a lot of depth. The connections and “love” just weren’t communicated very well in the writing. The author didn’t write the sweet psycho trope very well at all either. Lachlan was just a mess of a character.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2023
C
Verified Purchase
Carmen Alicea
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
A Beta Worth Rooting For
Format: Kindle
In Spare, Violet Fox flips the omegaverse on its head, giving us a Beta heroine determined to make her mark. Joining the Beta Trials to support her sick father, she's thrown into a pack that doesn't want her, especially the possessive Alphas. But here's the twist: their sweet Omega turns out to be her scent match. Cue the angst, forbidden tension, and a slow-burn romance that will make your heart ache in the best way. Violet Fox delivers an emotional, refreshing take on the genre, proving Betas aren't "spares." They're stars.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2025
C
Verified Purchase
C. Hunter
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 5
Beta, Alpha, Omega oh my!
Format: Kindle
Omegas are precious and given to Alphas & their packs... but the Betas want in too. To this end, the Beta government is rolling out its trial of assigning a Beta to each Alpha-Omega pack. But forcing a Beta into a pack where they are not wanted will not end well... Of course, no one expected the Omega to fall for the assigned Beta. Great read and cliffhanger
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2025
B
Verified Purchase
B. Stubby
Boise, US
★★★★★ 3
A familiar story, just with…..less.
Format: Kindle
So, as other reviewers make clear, this is very similar to Pack Darling and The Beta. It’s much closer aligned with The Beta, in plot and maybe more like Pack Darling with characters. That being said, I don’t hate this…..but it wasn’t great either. It’s both books mentioned but just….less. Less angst, less emotion, less feeling. The plot feels very half fleshed out, and the “bad guy” feels underwhelming. I didn’t really feel any real emotions from and of the male leads, except maybe Oliver. The others fell sorta flat for me. And Mika makes herself out to be this big bad ass straight outta training and then we never see it from here again with the one fitting room incident as the exception. SPOILER: The whole, “Oh, I’m actually probably an Omega, but I don’t wanna be but I do actually wanna be but no one can ever know my secret that I do nothing to hide “ thing fell so flat. She never commutes to believing she was secretly an omega, but also mentions her “secret” a lot. It just felt so manufactured. I’m intrigued enough to read part 2 and see how the author closes everything out, but this is not one I’ll recommend or ever come back to.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2024
S
Verified Purchase
SR
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Good start to a series
Format: Kindle
I delayed reading the series for reasons I don’t remember. But my TBR list is huge so I thought I’d take a shot of this and I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t think the blurb about it was anything special. But it was a very good book. It took some interesting twists and turns. I am so glad the second book is already out. Because I would not have waited patiently. Very slow burn but good storyline. 🔥🔥/5
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2025

recommand products