Stony Iron. Pallasite (PAL) Atacama Desert, Chile (24°12' S, 68°48' W)

Price Realised GBP 6,250

Estimate

GBP 5,000 - GBP 7,000

Closed: 28 Oct 2020

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EXTRATERRESTRIAL PERIDOT IN COMPLETE SLICE OF AN IMILAC PALLASITE

Stony Iron. Pallasite (PAL) Atacama Desert, Chile (24°12' S, 68°48' W)

Price Realised GBP 6,250

Closed: 28 Oct 2020

Price Realised GBP 6,250

Closed: 28 Oct 2020

Details Lot Essay Related Articles More from

This is a complete slice of a meteorite with extraterrestrial gemstones. Highly translucent olivine and peridot are plentiful and are fixed in a metallic matrix, polished to mirror finish on one side and lightly etched on reverse to reveal crystalline structure of metal. Modern cutting.
6¹⁄₄ x 5¹⁄₄ x 1/8in. (15.6 x 13.3 x 0.3cm.), height on stand 7.5in. (19cm.)

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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Conditions of Sale
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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

Lot Essay

Pallasites are widely considered the most beautiful meteorites, and Imilac is among the most coveted. Like all main-group pallasitic meteorites, Imilac originated from the mantle-core 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 molten metal near the surface of an asteroid’s iron-nickel core. Cut and polished to a mirror finish, the lustrous metallic matrix features crystals of gleaming olivine and peridot (gem-quality olivine) ranging in hues from amber to emerald. The pallasite designation for this meteorite class is in honor of the German scientist, Peter Pallas, who while traveling through Siberia, examined the first pallasitic mass in the late 18th Century. This is an honor Pallas is fortunate to have received, for he fervently believed that the unusual specimen he found could not possibly have come from outer space.