Pallasite – PMG; Magadan District, Russia ( 62°54’ N, 152°26’ E)

The most beautiful extraterrestrial substances known are pallasites. They formed at the boundary of the stony mantle and molten metal core of an asteroid. Upon shattering following an impact with another asteroid, this “borderline” material became liberated, and a bit has landed on Earth. As one would expect, pallasites are extremely rare and, indeed, they represent only about 0.2% of all known meteorites. The first Seymchan meteorites were found near a streambed in the Magadan district of Siberia — the location of Stalin’s infamous gulags.

The vast majority of Seymchan meteorites are non-descript, prosaic masses until they are cut to reveal their internal splendor. When cut and fashioned into slices, spheres and cubes, Seymchan’s metallic matrix octahedral crystalline lattice is showcased. Also known as a Widmanstätten pattern, this intergrowth of two iron-nickel minerals forms an unearthly metallic grid in shimmering shades of gray and silver and is diagnostic in the identification of an iron meteorite.

Revealing aspects of the structure impossible to see in a flat slab, this cube was prepared by sculptor Alexei Kovalev, the artisan who designed and created lot 45.

Crystals of olivine and peridot (birthstone of August) are seen to great effect in one corner of this three-dimensional presentation of the Seymchan transitional pallasite — a convergence of the core and mantle of an asteroid. Modern fashioning.

Christie's would like to thank Dr. Alan E. Rubin at the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles for his assistance in preparing this catalogue.

47mm (1.75 in) and 761.2g (1.66 lbs)