The end cut exhibiting a very nice Widmanstätten pattern - the product of the intergrowth of the two iron-nickel alloys typically present in meteorites: kamacite (a low-nickel variety) and taenite (a high-nickel variety).

One of the largest meteorite showers ever documented is the Campo del Cielo event over what is now Argentina. It occurred approximately 6,000 years ago. When the large Campo del Cielo meteoroid hit Earth’s upper atmosphere, the pressure caused it to explode into thousands of pieces, creating a spectacular meteorite shower. Several of the pieces weighed more than a ton and reside today in many of the world’s most famous museums. As the vast majority of iron meteorites are prosaically shaped, an opportunity exists to showcase the internal crystalline splendor of slowly cooled iron meteorites by fashioning slices, cubes and spheres. When revealed, the crystalline structure of an iron meteorite is mesmerizing.

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.
247 mm x 210 mm x 65 mm (9³⁄₄ x 8¹⁄₄ x 2.5 in)
6.6kg.

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