NWA 18057 - Pallasite, PMG

NWA 18057 is a rare Pallasite found near Tindouf, Algeria, in June 2019 and later purchased in Erfoud, Morocco. Officially approved in Meteoritical Bulletin 114, it is classified as a Pallasite, placing it within the Stony-Iron meteorite group. With a total known mass of 1,520 g, NWA 18057 is a limited meteorite representing material from an early differentiated asteroid, where silicate minerals and metallic material formed together under extreme conditions.

NWA 18057 specimens are described as dark brownish fragments, some with minor fusion crust. Petrographic study shows rounded to subrounded olivine grains up to 1 cm across, set within a matrix of iron oxyhydroxides. Few troilite and schreibersite grains were detected, but no metal grains were observed in the studied section, suggesting substantial alteration of the original metallic component. Its olivine composition is reported as Fa 13.0, with a shock stage of S1 and a high weathering grade.

Studying NWA 18057 provides insight into Pallasite formation, olivine-rich Stony-Iron meteorites, and the effects of terrestrial weathering on metal-rich meteorite material. For collectors, it offers a scarce and recently approved Pallasite with Algerian provenance, limited known mass, and distinctive olivine-bearing structure. Each specimen represents ancient asteroid material preserved as part of one of the most visually and scientifically interesting meteorite classes.