The most resplendent extraterrestrial material known, this is a dazzling example of a pallasitic meteorite. Named in honor of the 18th Century scientist Peter Pallas, pallasites constitute only 0.2% of all known meteorites. This superlative slice is bordered with fusion crust (the outer crust of a meteorite which results from its fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere). With a sparkling mosaic of olivine in its nickel-iron matrix, Imilac occasionally contains, as does this offering, gem-quality olivine or peridot (birthstone of August). Researchers believe that pallasites originate from the mantle-core boundary an asteroid that broke apart during the formation of our solar system (the remnants of which primarily orbit the sun between Mars and Jupiter in a region called the asteroid belt). The olivine crystals seen here are the result of small chunks of stony mantle becoming suspended in the asteroid’s molten nickel-iron core and then crystallizing during the cooling process. Found in the Atacama Desert in Chile, the highest desert on Earth, the Imilac impact site was discovered in 1822 and all prospective material has been recovered.

Christie's would like to thank Dr. Alan E. Rubin at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles for his assistance in preparing this catalog note.