A sphere provides a perspective impossible to see on a flat surface, and now offered is a wondrous three-dimensional presentation of a pallasite — a specimen that can rightfully be considered an otherworldly crystal ball. Older than Earth, dazzling crystals of olivine are seen to great effect in this crystal ball from outer space.

1³⁄₄in. (44mm.) diameter
220g.

This lot will be removed to Christie’s Park Royal. Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent offsite. Our removal and storage of the lot is subject to the terms and conditions of storage which can be found at Christies.com/storage and our fees for storage are set out in the table below - these will apply whether the lot remains with Christie’s or is removed elsewhere. Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Christie’s Park Royal. All collections from Christie’s Park Royal will be by pre-booked appointment only. Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060 Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com. If the lot remains at Christie’s it will be available for collection on any working day 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Lots are not available for collection at weekends.
Please note this lot is the property of a consumer. See H1 of the Conditions of Sale.

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Lot Essay

The Sericho pallasite formed at the mantle-core boundary of an asteroid about 4.5 billion years ago. Deep inside the asteroid, molten metal from the outer core mixed with chunks of the olivine mantle that had crystallized. Things remained quiet for Sericho until a major collision shattered the asteroid; this event and subsequent, less energetic collisions set Sericho pallasite material on a collision course with Earth — and more specifically, 200 miles northeast of what is now Nairobi, Kenya. The strewn field was discovered by camel herders, and the stony-iron rocks were first identified as meteorites in 2016; it is currently unclear when this meteorite shower occurred, but it is at least decades old.