Amgala 001 Olivine-Phyric Shergottite Meteorite Complete Individual, 43.00g, Sahara 2022 Find, Basaltic Crust from Mars

A substantial 43.00g complete individual of Martian basalt

At 43.00g, this complete individual of Amgala 001 represents a significant piece of Martian olivine-phyric shergottite, the kind of intact specimen that anchors a serious meteorite collection rather than supplements one. The stone is unbroken with no cut faces, no fractures, and the original shape preserved in full from its time on the Martian surface through ejection, the journey to Earth, and recovery in the Western Sahara. Specimens of this size are increasingly difficult to find from the Amgala 001 supply as the original 34.67 kg recovery has been progressively cut and dispersed into smaller pieces.

Form and surface character

The specimen presents in pale tan to peach tones with darker patches of underlying basaltic shergottite visible across the surface. The natural contours of the stone, including subtle regmaglypts and the irregular outline that records its original shape, read clearly through the exterior. The pale coating is largely caliche, a calcium carbonate deposit laid down by groundwater during the meteorite's residence in calcareous Saharan soil and a normal terrestrial signature on desert finds. It is the surface counterpart to the secondary calcite veinlets that the published petrography documents within the interior of Amgala 001.

Olivine-phyric shergottite from the basaltic crust of Mars

Shergottites are basaltic igneous rocks that crystallized from volcanic activity on the Martian surface, forming the largest group of Martian meteorites recovered on Earth. They sample the basaltic crust that dominates the planet's surface geology, providing direct laboratory access to material from another world. The Mars origin of shergottites is confirmed through analysis of trapped gases in shock-melted glass pockets, which match the Martian atmospheric composition measured directly by Viking and subsequent Mars missions. Olivine-phyric shergottites like Amgala 001 are distinguished by large olivine phenocrysts (up to 2mm in this meteorite) set in a finer groundmass of zoned clinopyroxene and lath-like maskelynite, the latter a dense glass formed when plagioclase feldspar was shock-converted under impact pressures. Radioisotope dating of shergottites consistently returns crystallization ages between roughly 150 and 600 million years, far younger than the planet itself, evidence that volcanic activity continued well into the Amazonian period, the most recent geological era on Mars.

For more on how meteorites are classified and connected to their parent bodies, visit our Learn About Meteorites resource page.

Frequently asked questions

Is this meteorite authenticated? Yes. Amgala 001 is classified in the Meteoritical Bulletin as a Martian shergottite (olivine-phyric). View the official entry: Amgala 001. Every specimen ships with a Treasure Coast Meteorite Co. certificate of authenticity and a specimen card listing the classification details.

How do we know this rock is from Mars? Trapped gases inside shock-melted glass pockets within shergottites match the composition of the Martian atmosphere measured by Viking and later spacecraft. The isotopic ratios of argon, nitrogen, and xenon in these gases are unique to Mars and rule out any terrestrial or other planetary origin.

What is the pale coating on the surface? That is caliche, a calcium carbonate deposit laid down by groundwater during the meteorite's residence in calcareous Saharan soil. It is a common terrestrial weathering signature on Sahara finds and does not affect the scientific classification or authenticity of the specimen.

Is this a complete individual or a fragment? Complete individual. The specimen has no cut faces, no breaks, and no fractures. It retains the natural shape it carried when it landed in the Western Sahara.

What is a shergottite? Shergottites are basaltic igneous rocks that crystallized from volcanic lava on Mars, sampling the basaltic crust that dominates the planet's surface. They are named after the Shergotty meteorite that fell in India in 1865 and form the largest subgroup of Martian meteorites. Olivine-phyric shergottites, the subtype to which Amgala 001 belongs, contain prominent olivine phenocrysts set in a finer-grained basaltic matrix.

What's included

The 43.00g Amgala 001 complete individual, a membrane display box, a custom crescent display stand, a Treasure Coast Meteorite Co. certificate of authenticity, and a specimen card listing classification details.

Collector significance

Martian meteorites represent under 0.5 percent of all classified meteorites worldwide and remain one of the rarest categories available to private collectors. Amgala 001 entered the market in late 2022 from a single recovery in Western Sahara totaling 34.67 kg, and supply has tightened considerably since the initial offerings. This 43.00g complete individual is a substantial piece by Amgala 001 standards, the kind of mass and intact form that hold their value as smaller fragments and slices flood the secondary market. The specimen represents olivine-phyric basalt from the volcanic crust of Mars, ejected by an impact and carried to Earth as a single intact stone. The included crescent display stand presents the piece in a way that highlights its irregular natural form, while the membrane box provides protected storage when not on display.

Browse the full Martian Meteorites collection or explore additional planetary and achondrite material in the Stony Meteorites collection.

Classification reference

Meteoritical Bulletin: Amgala 001 | Classification: Martian (olivine-phyric shergottite) | Find: Saguia el Hamra, Western Sahara, December 2022 | Total Known Weight: 34.67 kg