A Complete Slice of a Seymchan Meteorite — Extraterrestrial gemstones in a natural metallic matrix

A Complete Slice of a Seymchan Meteorite

A Complete Slice of a Seymchan Meteorite, Extraterrestrial Gemstones in a Natural Metallic Matrix, Magadan District, Russia. (62°54’ N, 152°26’ E)

Pallasite – PMG 5.5 x 8 x 0.1 in. (139 x 201 x 3 mm). Weight: 0.75 lbs. (339.8 grams)

Pallasites represent less than 0.2% of all known meteorites and are considered the most beautiful extraterrestrial substance known. Like the vast majority of pallasitic meteorites, Seymchan originated from the core-mantle boundary of an asteroid that broke apart during early solar system formation. Following pinball-like impacts in interplanetary space, a large mass of the Seymchan asteroid crossed into Earth's gravitational pull and resulted in a meteor shower in what is now Eastern Russia.

The crystals seen here are the result of small chunks of stony mantle becoming suspended in the molten metal of the asteroid’s iron-nickel core. Cut and polished, the metallic matrix features silicate crystals of gleaming olivine and peridot (gem-quality olivine) ranging in hues from emerald to amber. The metallic latticework is known as a Widmanstätten pattern, the result of a slow cooling process (about one degree per million years!) that allowed for the two metallic alloys to form their diagnostic cross-hatched appearance, made possible only in the vacuum of space. And because the crystals are not homogenously scattered throughout the metallic matrix, this incredibly unique specimen is referred to as a transitional pallasite.

This meteorite—chock-full of extraterrestrial gemstones forged over millions of years in the vacuum of space—is a rare example of one of the most beautiful otherworldly substances known to exist.