ITQIY Main Mass - 658 g

ITQIY represents one of the most texturally distinctive meteorites ever documented.
This 658 g specimen corresponds to the main mass, preserved here as an end cut exposing a remarkable internal structure that sets ITQIY apart from all other known meteorite groups.

The polished interior reveals a tightly interlocked mosaic texture, composed of enstatite grains with interstitial metal filling the spaces between individual crystals. visible at macroscopic scale and strikingly uniform across the exposed surface. The accompanying image illustrates approximately 9 cm² of polished section, offering a rare opportunity to observe this unusual fabric in exceptional detail. The texture does not resemble that of ordinary chondrites, achondrites, or iron meteorites, and has played a central role in defining ITQIY as a meteorite of unique classification.

Unlike most meteorites, whose internal structures can be readily assigned to established groups, ITQIY challenges conventional classification schemes. Its texture suggests a complex thermal and metamorphic history, potentially involving slow recrystallization under atypical conditions, the nature of which continues to be of scientific interest.

As the largest and principal mass of ITQIY, this specimen constitutes the reference piece for the meteorite. The end cut format preserves both the natural exterior and a substantial window into the interior, making it equally suitable for scientific study, museum exhibition, or inclusion in a high-level reference collection.

This meteorite also holds a particular significance, as ITQIY was personally discovered by me during a meteorite hunting expedition in the desert. The recovery of this specimen in the field marked the first identification of this highly unusual material, later recognized for its unique texture and classification.