Highly evocative of an asteroid, this meteorite has been cleaned to reveal the aggregates of olivine crystals suspended in natural coils and tendrils of its durable iron-nickel matrix.
5 x 3³⁄₄ x 2¹⁄₄in. (12.5 x 9.5 x 5.5cm.)
1.002kg.

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.

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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. Such meteorites are typically found with crystals which 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.

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.