Labenne Meteorites

Europa Star recently published a feature article dedicated to Luc Labenne and the work of Labenne Meteorites.

For nearly 30 years, Labenne Meteorites has supplied rare and scientifically significant meteorites to museums, universities, researchers and advanced collectors worldwide.

The article explores meteorite hunting in the world’s deserts, the scientific importance of lunar and Martian meteorites, and the growing interest in extraterrestrial materials for scientific collections and exceptional creations.

It also highlights one of the company’s areas of expertise: selecting rare meteorites suitable for precise cutting and finishing. Most lunar and Martian meteorites are extremely fragile and cannot withstand the technical requirements of high-end watchmaking or jewellery applications. Thanks to a large and diverse inventory of rare meteorites, Labenne Meteorites can identify the specimens best suited to these demanding projects.

Full article:

Luc Labenne, meteorite hunter Luc Labenne gave up medicine to scour the world's deserts in search of space rocks. This acknowledged expert in meteorites is the first port of call for brands seeking remarkable specimens to transform into jewellery or watch dials.

Standing beside the Agpalilik meteorite (Cape York, Greenland), one cannot help but reflect on the scale and significance of such an extraordinary mass of meteoritic iron.

Weighing over 20 tons, Agpalilik is one of the largest known fragments of the Cape York meteorite and represents a remarkable example of a coarse octahedrite. Its structure, shaped over billions of years through slow cooling in the core of a differentiated parent body, offers invaluable insight into planetary formation processes.

Specimens of this importance are not only visually striking—they are scientific archives. Each cut surface reveals the Widmanstätten pattern, a unique crystallographic structure that cannot be replicated on Earth.

At Labenne Météorites, my mission has always been to connect collectors and researchers with authentic, well-documented specimens, while preserving the integrity and history of these rare extraterrestrial materials.

Agpalilik stands as a powerful reminder: some meteorites are far more than objects—they are witnesses to the earliest history of our solar system.

https://www.meteorites.tv/576-cape-york-meteorite

The famous Angrite Sahara 99555 — in my hand.
A meteorite with holes… like Gruyère: the more holes, the less there is.
So, in a way — quite an economical meteorite.
And yet, despite those holes, angrites remain firmly among the most high-end meteorites.
Still… not exactly why we love it. Labenne meteorites.tv

Not bad for something that fits in my hand.
Tarda — Main Mass, 149.50 g - fall, 25 August 2020
A beautifully oriented black stone, with a clear impact mark right on the nose.
Tarda is a rare C2-ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite, preserving traces of aqueous alteration from the early Solar System.
Small stone. Big Solar System story.

Martian meteorite Tissint — 219 g in my hand. Featuring a genuine hole, with fusion crust preserved inside.

✨ Estherville, 116 g individual – A Meteorite with History ✨

Old collection labels often tell a story as fascinating as the meteorite itself. This is a perfect example with this Estherville meteorite, a mesosiderite that fell in Iowa in 1879, accompanied by its vintage label. A complete 116 g individual with thin fusion crust and typical patina from old collection.

🔎 A piece of celestial history, preserved and authenticated.

📍 Want to know more? Feel free to contact me

This 469 g Sikhote-Alin meteorite comes with its original label, issued by the Meteorite Collection of the Institute of Geology of the Academy of Sciences of the Estonian SSR (ENSV TA Geoloogia Instituudi meteoriitide kogu).

This is an authentic, original label – not a reproduction, documenting its passage through a Soviet scientific institution when Estonia was still part of the USSR. This historical provenance adds significant value to an already fascinating piece, featuring small, deep regmaglypts and a typical patina from its long stay in a museum collection.

📩 Contact me for more details!

🌠 A Monolith from the Asteroid Belt 🌠

Interested in this Cape York? This block’s monolithic presence, sharp geometry, and striking contrast between the Widmanstätten pattern and its troilite inclusion make it a truly remarkable piece. Weight 408.80 gr, size 90x47x13 mm

📩 Contact me for more details!