A highly aesthetic Seymchan slice. The metal-rich vein etched to reveal the prominent latticework Widmanstätten pattern. The olivine-rich aggregates were derived from a fragmented olivine layer at the bottom of the mantle that was invaded by a metallic liquid during mixing at the core-mantle boundary, the aggregates concertating in several regions across the surface. Modern cutting.
9¹⁄₂ x 4¹⁄₄ in. (24 x 11 x 0.5cm.)
478g.

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.
This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.
Please note this lot is the property of a consumer. See H1 of the Conditions of Sale.

Conditions of Sale
FAQs
This lot is offered by Christie Manson & Woods Ltd

Brought to you by

A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.

View condition report

Lot Essay

Pallasites are not only rare, representing less than 0.2% of all known meteorites, they are also widely considered the most beautiful of meteorites. Like all pallasitic meteorites, Seymchan originated from the core-mantle boundary of an asteroid that broke apart during the early history of our solar system. The crystals seen here are the result of small chunks of the stony mantle becoming suspended in the molten metal of an asteroid’s iron-nickel core. Cut and polished, the lustrous metallic matrix features crystals of gleaming olivine and peridot (gem-quality olivine) ranging in hues from emerald to amber.

The prominent latticework referred to as a Widmanstätten pattern is indicative of a slow cooling rate that provided sufficient time — millions of years — for the two metallic alloys to orient into their crystalline structure. The pattern seen is diagnostic in the identification of an iron meteorite. It was in the 1960s that the first masses of Seymchan were found in a streambed in a part of Siberia made infamous as the remote location of Stalin’s gulags. Identified as meteorites, they were named Seymchan for a nearby town. Unlike most pallasites, the dispersion of olivine crystals in Seymchan is extremely heterogeneous. Some specimens are olivine rich and some are olivine poor; some specimens have no olivine whatsoever.

The example seen here boasts an aesthetic array of olivine and its gem-quality counterpart, peridot, birthstone of August.