The mirror-polished face of the specimen displaying a multitude of olivine and peridot crystals. The exterior surface of the reverse with the yellow crystals visible and a light etch to the highlight the Widmanstätten pattern. Modern cutting.

4¹⁄₂ x 3¹⁄₂ x 1in. (11.5 x 9 x 2.5cm.), height 6in. (15cm.) on stand
304g

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.
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This lot is offered by Christie Manson & Woods Ltd

Brought to you by

James Hyslop

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

jhyslop@christies.com +44 (0)20 7752 3205

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Lot Essay

Representing less than 0.2% of all known meteorites, pallasites are widely considered the most beautiful extraterrestrial substance known. Like all pallasitic meteorites, Seymchan originated from the mantle-core boundary of an asteroid that broke apart following a cataclysmic collision. The crystals seen here are the result of small chunks of an asteroid’s stony mantle becoming suspended in its molten metal 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. 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 can be varied. The example now offered boasts an aesthetic array of olivine and its gem-quality counterpart, peridot, the birthstone of August.