Gyarub Zangbo Pallasite Meteorite Full Slice, Ungrouped Pallasite, 324.46g, Tibet

A 324.46g metal-dominant full slice of Gyarub Zangbo, an ungrouped pallasite from Tibet

This is a 324.46 gram full slice of Gyarub Zangbo, a pallasite recovered on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and a sister slice to our 301.28g slice, TC-00035. This slice is overwhelmingly metal: broad fields of etched iron-nickel with olivine gathered into a few clusters near the margins. The Meteoritical Society revised the classification to Pallasite, ungrouped in Meteoritical Bulletin 114, published in 2026, and as of September 2026 it is 1 of 17 approved meteorites carrying that classification. For background on the type, see our guide on what a pallasite is. The photographs show the exact specimen offered.

Structure and features of this slice

Both faces are dominated by metal. The etch has brought up a dense network of fine crossing lines across the whole surface, and on a slice with this much open metal the pattern reads edge to edge rather than being broken up by silicate. The Bulletin records kamacite and taenite as the metal phases in Gyarub Zangbo.

Olivine is concentrated rather than scattered. On one face it forms a connected cluster along one margin with a few isolated grains elsewhere; on the reverse the cluster sits on the opposite side, as expected when both faces of one cut are compared. Several larger grains are translucent amber under strong light, while others are deep brown to near black. A few grey-toned pockets hold smaller olivine grains, and a handful of darker inclusions sit alone in the metal. Those features are described here from the photographs only; the phases have not been analysed on this slice.

The Bulletin describes Gyarub Zangbo material as dark brown olivine and metal in variable proportions from specimen to specimen. This slice sits at the metal-rich end of that range. By comparison, Jiang and colleagues (2023) described the interior of the sample they studied as roughly 60 percent olivine and 36 percent metal by volume, which shows how much a single mass of this meteorite can vary.

Both faces carry a thin protective epoxy coating. It stabilizes the olivine and slows oxidation of the metal, and the SKU carries the -EP suffix to disclose it.

Discovery and provenance

Gyarub Zangbo was found in October 2020 by G. Tulga during exploration of the uninhabited Qiangtang region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, northeast of Gyarub Zangbo in Xizang, China, at 33.126 N, 87.079 E. The Bulletin records many disaggregated fragments of olivine and metal, along with a larger single metal-rich specimen found nearby. All of the material was purchased by Ziyao Wang in October and November 2020, and the Bulletin records the main mass with him.

Classification was carried out by A. Irving, UWS, and P. Carpenter, WUSL, and the name was approved on 13 March 2021. The type specimen, 120 g including two polished end cuts, is held at the Burke Museum at the University of Washington. This slice was acquired by Treasure Coast Meteorite Co. and is a sister slice to TC-00035. The Bulletin does not document which recovered piece either slice was cut from, and we make no claim about it.

The Bulletin indexes a mass of 17.61 kg in 102 pieces from the original MB 110 entry. The MB 114 reclassification writeup states that the updated total mass is now more than 200 kg, so the indexed figure covers only the material in the first announcement. Browse related specimens in our Stony-Iron Meteorites collection.

Scientific context

Most pallasites belong to the main group, tied to the IIIAB irons. Gyarub Zangbo fits neither the main group nor the Eagle Station group, and the MB 114 writeup sets out why. Its olivine is close in composition to Eagle Station olivine but has lower Fe/Mn ratios, and is clearly distinct from main group olivine. It contains orthopyroxene and augite, absent from both groups. Its oxygen isotopes fall on an array between main group and Eagle Station values without overlapping any other ungrouped pallasite. Its metal shows affinity with the IIF irons rather than the IIIAB irons, carries more nickel than the metal of the IVB irons, the Eagle Station pallasites and the main group, and its Ga and Ge contents separate it from both groups.

For a metal-dominant slice, that last point is the relevant one: nickel content, IIF affinity and Ga and Ge are all properties of the metal. Two abstracts presented at the 54th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in 2023 examined it in detail: Jiang et al., abstract #1183, which describes Gyarub Zangbo as an anomalous carbonaceous pallasite, and Boesenberg et al., abstract #2392, which identified orthopyroxene and described it as the tenth known pyroxene pallasite. Both report conference research rather than Bulletin classification. The full picture is on our Gyarub Zangbo origin and science page.

Frequently asked questions

Is this meteorite officially classified? Yes. Gyarub Zangbo is an officially named meteorite, announced as a pallasite in Meteoritical Bulletin 110 (2022) and revised to Pallasite, ungrouped in Meteoritical Bulletin 114 (2026). Offered by Treasure Coast Meteorite Co., IMCA #3323.

Why is there so little olivine on this slice? The Bulletin records olivine and metal in variable proportions from specimen to specimen. This slice comes from a metal-rich part of the meteorite, so the olivine is gathered in clusters near the margins rather than spread across the face.

Is this slice the same material as TC-00035? It is a sister slice to TC-00035, our 301.28g Gyarub Zangbo slice. Each carries its own serial and its own specimen record.

What does the epoxy coating do? It stabilizes the olivine and slows oxidation of the metal without changing how the slice looks. It is disclosed in the SKU with the -EP suffix.

How scarce is this classification? As of September 2026, the Meteoritical Bulletin lists this as 1 of 17 approved meteorites classified as Pallasite, ungrouped.

Is white glove delivery available? Yes. As a premium specimen, this slice qualifies for our white glove service, a fully insured, personal delivery at approved destinations. It is arranged on request before fulfillment, so contact us with your delivery location.

Collector significance

At 324.46 grams this is a display slice, and its character comes from the metal. Paired with a classification shared by 17 approved meteorites as of September 2026, it puts the focus on the metal, which carries several of the lines of evidence the Bulletin gives for ungrouped status. Collectors who hold TC-00035 or another olivine-rich slice of this meteorite will find this one a direct counterpart.

This slice is part of our premium specimens and qualifies for our white glove service: fully insured, personal delivery at approved destinations, arranged on request.

This specimen carries serial TC-00045 in the Treasure Coast Meteorite Co. specimen record programme. Its permanent record, with identification data, provenance and photographs, is at Specimen Record TC-00045, and the full index is on the specimen registry.

Meteoritical Bulletin entry: Gyarub Zangbo | Classification: Pallasite, ungrouped | Find, Xizang, China, October 2020 | MB 110 (2022), reclassified MB 114 (2026) | IMCA #3323