Timimoun 003 – 44,45g – Catawiki Premiere: Extremely Rare Aubrite Slice with Exceptional Ice-Blue Colouration Not only an exceptionally rare aubrite, but a specimen whose unusual colouration makes it immediately recognisable. The outstanding feature of Timimoun 003 is its remarkable combination of an almost snow-white base structure and clearly visible bluish to ice-blue-grey areas. These cool-toned zones are not merely small, inconspicuous inclusions. They extend across substantial areas of the cut surface, giving the meteorite an almost crystalline, frost-like appearance. Together with the white enstatite-rich areas, dark mineral phases and occasional warm brown inclusions, they create a striking contrast rarely encountered in aubrites with this intensity. In photographs, some of these areas may appear merely grey. In person, however, the bluish colouration is considerably more pronounced, deeper and more vivid. Depending on the angle and lighting, its appearance changes from delicate blue-grey to a cool, almost silvery ice-blue tone. This unusual colour character is precisely what makes Timimoun 003 such an exceptional display specimen. Timimoun 003 was found in Adrar, Algeria, in 2025 and is officially classified as an aubrite, or enstatite achondrite. Aubrites belong to one of the rarest classes of differentiated stony meteorites and consist predominantly of extremely iron-poor enstatite. Rock from the Interior of an Ancient World What makes aubrites so special can be explained quite simply: During the earliest period of our Solar System, their original parent body became so intensely heated that parts of its interior melted. The material separated into different layers and later crystallised again as it slowly cooled. Timimoun 003 is therefore not an ordinary primitive asteroid rock, but an igneous fragment from the interior of an early differentiated planetary body. It formed under extremely oxygen-poor conditions. As a result, its silicate minerals remained exceptionally low in iron—one of the main reasons for the distinctive pale, almost white appearance of aubrites. Timimoun 003 combines this rare mineralogy with its unusual bluish areas, giving the material a visual identity entirely of its own. Exclusive Museum-Style Presentation The slice is presented in a premium black museum-style display box with a custom-designed label. The dark, elegant display enhances the contrast of the white and ice-blue structure, transforming the ensemble into a refined, exhibition-ready collector’s object. Especially exclusive: Timimoun 003 has never previously been offered on Catawiki. This auction therefore represents the first opportunity to acquire an aesthetic slice of this new and extraordinary aubrite classification through the platform. The rare combination of: an exceptionally rare aubrite classification, unusually pale enstatite-rich structure, distinctive ice-blue colour zones and a professional museum-style presentation makes this specimen an outstanding opportunity for discerning collectors. Every slice possesses its own individual distribution of bluish areas, crystals and dark mineral phases. Once this exact specimen has been sold, there will never be another with precisely the same pattern. As a member of the International Meteorite Collectors Association – IMCA #7379 and the Global Meteorite Association – GMA #G0117, I guarantee the authenticity of every meteorite I offer. The specimen will, of course, be supplied with a corresponding Certificate of Authenticity. An exclusive Catawiki premiere and a rare opportunity to add one of the most visually distinctive aubrites, with its fascinating ice-blue colouration, to your collection. Thank you and good luck with your bidding! IMCA #7379 GMA #G0117