Details
This is a complete slice of a meteorite, found in 1822 in the Atacama Desert, Chile, with extraterrestrial gemstones of highly translucent peridot in a metallic matrix. Modern cutting, supported in custom stand.

318 x 318 x 18in. (8 x 8 x 0.2cm.)
with stand: 438in. (11cm.) high
45g.
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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.

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