Gems From Outer Space — A Complete Slice Of The Imilac Pallasite

Less than 0.2% of all meteorites are pallasites, a rare type of meteorite whose silicate components crystallized. Like nearly all pallasitic meteorites, Imilac originated from the mantle-core boundary of an asteroid that broke apart during the early history of our solar system. The meteorite from which this slice was cut was found atop the Andes in the Atacama Desert, the highest desert on Earth. Pallasites are widely considered the most beautiful meteorites and Imilac is among the most coveted (see lot 23). The crystals seen here are the result of small chunks of the asteroid’s stony mantle becoming suspended in the molten metal of the asteroid’s iron-nickel core. Cut and polished, the lustrous metallic matrix features translucent crystals of gleaming olivine and peridot (gem-quality olivine and the birthstone of August) ranging in hues from emerald to amber. A few of the olivine crystals are iridescent. The meteorite’s exterior rim is composed of a thin band of molten olivine and metal — the result of frictional heating in Earth’s atmosphere following its sojourn through the solar system. Now offered is a quintessential complete slice of a pallasite, the most exquisite extraterrestrial substance known.