Impactites

Indochinite is a variety of the mineral tektite, which is a natural glass formed by the intense heat and pressure of a meteorite impact.  These tektites are usually found as small, aerodynamically shaped objects, often teardrop or irregular in shape, resulting from the molten material solidifying as it cooled rapidly after being ejected from the impact site.

Indochinites are believed to have formed around 780,000 to 800,000 years ago, following a significant meteorite impact event that likely created the Southeast Asian tektite strewn field.  The strewn field is quite large, and the tektites can be found scattered over a vast area which includes Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.   

This piece displays very well, showing multiple characteristics of its origin.  The specimen has a weigh of 27.8 grams and dimensions of 33x32x21.  Comes with a Canagem Collection specimen card.

This is a fantastic Impactite Fallback Breccia from Germany weighing 67.3 grams and measuring 75x59x10mm. Although not a meteorite, impactites and shatter cones are directly linked to them and their impacts. The Steinheim Basin today exhibits a distinct morphological depression that is ∼110 m deep and ∼3.5 km in diameter; the height of the central uplift totals to more than 140 m. The original size of the pristine crater is estimated to be ∼3.8 km with an original depth of ∼205 m.

As this drainless morphological depression was filled by lake sediments shortly after the impact, the primary crater morphology is widely preserved. The crater rim is formed by steeply inclined and intensely brecciated Upper Jurassic limestone blocks that also contain numerous shattered chert nodules, as well as some loose blocks of the host limestone. An impact breccia, referred to as the so-called ”Primäre Beckenbrekzie” (“primary basin breccia”) and interpreted as a “fallback breccia”, is known from many drillings in the Steinheim Basin.

Mainly composed of Middle to Upper Jurassic limestones, marls, mudstones, and sandstones, the impact breccia inside the morphological depression of the Steinheim Basin is overlain by lake sediments and is obviously preserved in its original thickness and position.   This piece displays very well and is a very nice size showing multiple characteristics of its origin. Would make a beautiful addition to any collection.

This is a must have 155.6 gram Impact Melt Rock from the Dellen Crater, north of Stokholm, Sweden. Although not a meteorite, impactites are directly linked to them and their impacts and are probably going to be one of the rarest collection items you'll ever own. Impactite is a slag-like glassy object found on the surface of the earth, formed from rock melted by the impact of a meteorite.

The term impactite encompasses shock-metamorphosed target rocks, melts or suevites and mixtures of the two, as well as sedimentary rocks with significant impact-derived components and shocked mineral grains, tektites, anomalous geochemical signatures, etc.

This impactite was formed approx. 89 million years ago when a meteorite crashed into the earth making a round crater which is now a lake about 11 miles wide. The term tagamite was introduced in 1975 to describe impact rock from the Popigai crater in Russia. Varieties of tagamites are described based on crystallinity, texture and clast content.   HT Tagamite differs from other material due to the complete melting of the crystalline matrix and then being subjected to rapid cooling. 

This gorgeous slice displays very well.  It is amazingly light considering its mass of 83x51x27 mm.  Would be a beautiful addition to any new or existing collection. Comes with a Canagem Collection specimen card.

This is a fantastic Impactite Fallback Breccia from Germany weighing 16 grams and measuring 48x37x7mm. Although not a meteorite, impactites and shatter cones are directly linked to them and their impacts. The Steinheim Basin today exhibits a distinct morphological depression that is ∼110 m deep and ∼3.5 km in diameter; the height of the central uplift totals to more than 140 m. The original size of the pristine crater is estimated to be ∼3.8 km with an original depth of ∼205 m.

As this drainless morphological depression was filled by lake sediments shortly after the impact, the primary crater morphology is widely preserved. The crater rim is formed by steeply inclined and intensely brecciated Upper Jurassic limestone blocks that also contain numerous shattered chert nodules, as well as some loose blocks of the host limestone. An impact breccia, referred to as the so-called ”Primäre Beckenbrekzie” (“primary basin breccia”) and interpreted as a “fallback breccia”, is known from many drillings in the Steinheim Basin.

Mainly composed of Middle to Upper Jurassic limestones, marls, mudstones, and sandstones, the impact breccia inside the morphological depression of the Steinheim Basin is overlain by lake sediments and is obviously preserved in its original thickness and position.   This piece displays very well and is a very nice size showing multiple characteristics of its origin. Would make a beautiful addition to any collection.

This is a great 43.6 gram Impact Melt Breccia from the Gardnos Crater in Norway.  It is amazingly light considering its mass of 54x43x9mm. Although not a meteorite, impactites are directly linked to them and their impacts and are probably going to be one of the rarest collection item you'll ever own. Impactite is a slag-like glassy object found on the surface of the earth, formed from rock melted by the impact of a meteorite.

The term impactite encompasses shock-metamorphosed target rocks, melts or suevites and mixtures of the two, as well as sedimentary rocks with significant impact-derived components and shocked mineral grains, tektites, anomalous geochemical signatures, etc.

This impactite was formed between 385 and 900 million years ago in Precambrian time when a meteorite crashed into the earth making a ~5 kilometers wide crater locally known as the Hallingdal Impact Crater. 

Would be a beautiful addition to any new or existing collection. Comes with a Canagem Collection specimen card.

This is a great 22 gram Impact Melt Breccia from the Gardnos Crater in Norway.  It is amazingly light considering its mass of 56x28x9mm. Although not a meteorite, impactites are directly linked to them and their impacts and are probably going to be one of the rarest collection item you'll ever own. Impactite is a slag-like glassy object found on the surface of the earth, formed from rock melted by the impact of a meteorite.

The term impactite encompasses shock-metamorphosed target rocks, melts or suevites and mixtures of the two, as well as sedimentary rocks with significant impact-derived components and shocked mineral grains, tektites, anomalous geochemical signatures, etc.

This impactite was formed between 385 and 900 million years ago in Precambrian time when a meteorite crashed into the earth making a ~5 kilometers wide crater locally known as the Hallingdal Impact Crater. 

Would be a beautiful addition to any new or existing collection. Comes with a Canagem Collection specimen card.

This is a rare and fantastic 8.5 gram Libyan Desert Glass from Kuffra, Libya, with dimensions of 32x18x17 mm.  Although its exact origin is still debated, the leading theory suggests it was formed by a high-energy event, such as a meteoric impact or airburst, that melted the desert sand directly where it lay, without being ejected into the atmosphere and re-entering. This results in different physical characteristics compared to tektites​.

Libyan Desert Glass is found specifically in the Great Sand Sea of the Eastern Sahara, within a more localized area spanning parts of western Egypt and eastern Libya.  Characterized by its yellow to greenish-yellow color, it lacks the aerodynamic shapes of tektites and often appears as irregularly shaped pieces. It is almost pure silica (around 98%) with very few impurities. Throughout history, it has been regarded as a mystical and powerful material, sometimes used in talismans and amulets.

This piece displays extremely well and is a quality translucent specimen. It has an aesthetic shape with a beautiful wind eroded body from the years spent in the Desert. Would be a beautiful addition to any new or existing collection. Comes with a Canagem Collection specimen card.

This is a must have 52 gram Impact Breccia also referred to as Suevite coming from the famous Rochechouart impact structure in South Western France, near the village of Chassenon.  Although not a meteorite, impactites are directly linked to them and their impacts and are probably going to be one of the rarest collection items you'll ever own. Impactite is a slag-like glassy object found on the surface of the earth, formed from rock melted by the impact of a meteorite.

Named after the town of Rochechouart, the Rochechouart impact structure is located on the western margin of the French Massif Central near the city of Limoges, approximately 350 km (220 mi) south of Paris.  Rochechouart (population about 3800) is built with rocks created or modified by the impact (impactites). Chassenon, a third of the size of Rochechouart, is also built of impactites. Impactite was used 2000 years ago for building Chassenon's monumental Roman baths of Cassinomagus.

The very fine materials (impactoclastites) are preserved forming a very fine layered horizontal deposits on top of the melt rich suevite (breccia with a debris matrix and both rock debris and melt fragments as clasts) near Chassenon.

The term impactite encompasses shock-metamorphosed target rocks, melts or suevites and mixtures of the two, as well as sedimentary rocks with significant impact-derived components and shocked mineral grains, tektites, anomalous geochemical signatures, etc. This impactite was formed 186 million years ago.   This deformed rock fragments and partly molten are imbedded in a melt matrix showing typical flow structures from former melt.

This gorgeous slice displays very well with a mass of 76x46x16 mm. Would be a beautiful addition to any new or existing collection. Comes with a Canagem Collection specimen card.

This is an outstanding specimen Impact Melt Glass, or "Flädle" glass, from the Lake Mien crater, 12 km (7.5 mi) southwest of the town of Tingsryd, Sweden.   It weighs 34.5 grams and measures 55x48x15 mm.  Although not a meteorite, impactites are directly linked to them and their impacts.

Impactite is a slag-like glassy object found on the surface of the earth, formed from rock melted by the impact of a meteorite. The term encompasses shock-metamorphosed target rocks, melts or suevites and mixtures of the two, as well as sedimentary rocks with significant impact-derived components and shocked mineral grains, tektites, anomalous geochemical signatures, etc.

This eroded crater is marked by a 5.5-km (3.4-mi) diameter circular lake named Lake Mien. The original crater rim is estimated to have been about 9 km in diameter before erosion. Its age is estimated to be 121.0 ± 2.3 million years (Early Cretaceous).  This Suevitic breccia with clastic matrix and melt inclusions (black) and crystalline rock clasts (gray to white) is amazingly light considering its mass.   It has a unique hollow sound when you tap it.

Would be a beautiful addition to any new or existing collection. Comes with a Canagem Collection specimen card.

Indochinite is a variety of the mineral tektite, which is a natural glass formed by the intense heat and pressure of a meteorite impact.  These tektites are usually found as small, aerodynamically shaped objects, often teardrop or irregular in shape, resulting from the molten material solidifying as it cooled rapidly after being ejected from the impact site.

Indochinites are believed to have formed around 780,000 to 800,000 years ago, following a significant meteorite impact event that likely created the Southeast Asian tektite strewn field.  The strewn field is quite large, and the tektites can be found scattered over a vast area which includes Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.   

This piece displays very well, showing multiple characteristics of its origin.  The specimen has a weigh of 51 grams and dimensions of 45x32x23.  Comes with a Canagem Collection specimen card.

This is a rare and fantastic 78.3 gram Libyan Desert Glass from Kuffra, Libya, with dimensions of 54x48x31 mm.

Although its exact origin is still debated, the leading theory suggests it was formed by a high-energy event, such as a meteoric impact or airburst, that melted the desert sand directly where it lay, without being ejected into the atmosphere and re-entering. This results in different physical characteristics compared to tektites​. Libyan Desert Glass is found specifically in the Great Sand Sea of the Eastern Sahara, within a more localized area spanning parts of western Egypt and eastern Libya.

This is a 620 gram impact melt rock from the Gallejaur Crater, northern Sweden.  Although not a meteorite, impactites are directly linked to them and their impacts and are probably going to be one of the rarest collection items you'll ever own. Impactite is a slag-like glassy object found on the surface of the earth, formed from rock melted by the impact of a meteorite.

The term impactite encompasses shock-metamorphosed target rocks, melts or suevites and mixtures of the two, as well as sedimentary rocks with significant impact-derived components and shocked mineral grains, tektites, anomalous geochemical signatures, etc.

Rocks, interpreted as impact generated lithologies, occur in a large area surrounding the Gallejaur magnetic structure at latitude 65°10/longitude 19°30 in northernmost Västerbotten County in northern Sweden. These rocks comprise a variety of different types of breccias: authigenic The Gallejaur structure is located in the central part of the Skellefte mining district in the Precambrian Baltic Shield. The ca. 1.9 Ga old Skellefte district is an extensively mineralized, mainly felsic, submarine volcanic belt.  The rocks are described as impact-generated, have been called the Vargfors Group and overlie the Skellefte volcanics and sediments with an angular unconformity.  The youngest rocks in the area, intruding the Skellefte district supracrustals and probably the impact-generated rock, are A/I-type granitoids belonging to the Revsund-Adak granite suite, which have been dated at ca. 1.80 to 1.78 Ga.

This great bookend slab displays very well.  It has a mass of 190x97x39 mm.  Would be a beautiful addition to any new or existing collection. Comes with a Canagem Collection specimen card.

This is a great 145.8 gram Red Suevite Fallback Breccia from the Sääksjärvi crater in Finland. It has dimensions of 79x38x45 mm.  Although not a meteorite, impactites are directly linked to them and their impacts and are probably going to be one of the rarest collection item you'll ever own. Impactite is a slag-like glassy object found on the surface of the earth, formed from rock melted by the impact of a meteorite.

The term impactite encompasses shock-metamorphosed target rocks, melts or suevites and mixtures of the two, as well as sedimentary rocks with significant impact-derived components and shocked mineral grains, tektites, anomalous geochemical signatures, etc.

Sääksjärvi is a lake in Kokemäki, Satakunta, western Finland, east of the town of Pori. The lake is notable because it overlies an impact crater.  The crater is 5 kilometres (3 mi) in diameter and is completely buried under the lake and is not visible at the surface. The age of the impact structure is estimated to be about 543 ± 12 Ma (million years ago), at the boundary between the Ediacaran and Cambrian periods. The enormous heat and pressure at the impact explosion created an interesting melt, a Suevite, and shattered rocks and dust which fell back into the crater area becoming cemented together over the centuries.  These rock formation is known as Fallback Breccia.

These are some of the best looking breccias we've found. Would be a beautiful addition to any new or existing collection. Comes with a Canagem Collection specimen card.

This is a great 34.2 gram Red Suevite Fallback Breccia from the Sääksjärvi crater in Finland. It has dimensions of 76x39x6 mm.  Although not a meteorite, impactites are directly linked to them and their impacts and are probably going to be one of the rarest collection item you'll ever own. Impactite is a slag-like glassy object found on the surface of the earth, formed from rock melted by the impact of a meteorite.

The term impactite encompasses shock-metamorphosed target rocks, melts or suevites and mixtures of the two, as well as sedimentary rocks with significant impact-derived components and shocked mineral grains, tektites, anomalous geochemical signatures, etc.

Sääksjärvi is a lake in Kokemäki, Satakunta, western Finland, east of the town of Pori. The lake is notable because it overlies an impact crater.  The crater is 5 kilometres (3 mi) in diameter and is completely buried under the lake and is not visible at the surface. The age of the impact structure is estimated to be about 543 ± 12 Ma (million years ago), at the boundary between the Ediacaran and Cambrian periods. The enormous heat and pressure at the impact explosion created an interesting melt, a Suevite, and shattered rocks and dust which fell back into the crater area becoming cemented together over the centuries.  These rock formation is known as Fallback Breccia.

These are some of the best looking breccias we've found. Would be a beautiful addition to any new or existing collection. Comes with a Canagem Collection specimen card.

This is a rare and fantastic 26.8 gram Libyan Desert Glass from Kuffra, Libya, with dimensions of 51x40x25 mm.

Although its exact origin is still debated, the leading theory suggests it was formed by a high-energy event, such as a meteoric impact or airburst, that melted the desert sand directly where it lay, without being ejected into the atmosphere and re-entering. This results in different physical characteristics compared to tektites​. Libyan Desert Glass is found specifically in the Great Sand Sea of the Eastern Sahara, within a more localized area spanning parts of western Egypt and eastern Libya.

Here we have for you an amazing 1.2 grams premium shaped Irghizite Tektite from the Zhamanshi Crater in Kazakhstan. Its Dimensions are 28x8x5 mm.  These specimen were first found in 2003 and date back 900,000 ± 100,000 years.

This stretched and twisted Irghizite is typical of this material. Unlike other Tektites which can be found hundreds of miles from their point of origin, this is found in and around the crater formed by the impacting body.  In this case it is speculated to be of cometary origin due to analysis of the elements contained within the Irghizites and other impactite found in the crater which are called Zhamanshinite.

This piece displays very well and is a very nice size showing multiple characteristics of its origin.  Would be a beautiful addition to any new or existing collection. Comes in a small specimen box and with a Canagem Collection specimen card.