Mont Dieu

Ardennes, France

First piece found 1994 July

Iron, fine octahedrite (IIE)

A man found a 45 kg rusted mass in the forest of Mont Dieu. Subsequently, many other fragments were found (~50), ranging up to 95 kg.  Total mass >360 kg.  Classification and description (J. T. Wasson, UCLA; C. Perron, MNHNP):  bulk metal composition, 0.434 wt% Co, 7.55 wt% Ni, 23.2 ppm Ga, 63 ppm Ge, 8.3 ppm As, 4.9 ppm Ir, 0.861 ppm Au; widmanstätten pattern irregular; contains abundant troilite and schreibersite and rare chromite, silicate, metallic Cu; all fragments deeply rusted.  See Desrousseaux et al. (1996) for details.  Specimens:  half of total mass, MNHNP; remainder with private collectors.