Complete Slice of Glorieta Mountain

A NEW MEXICO PALLASITE WITH LARGE AND TRANSLUCENT OLIVINE CRYSTALS

This incredibly beguiling pallasite slice comes from the Glorieta Mountain meteorite, originally discovered by a prospector in the 1880s on a ranch southeast of Sante Fe, New Mexico. Glorieta Mountain pallasite slices are highly sought after by collectors for their large olivine crystals, and this specimen is no different, with the largest translucent olivine crystal measuring an astonishing 44 x 38 mm (1.73 x 1.49 inches).

Pallasites such as Glorieta Mountain are incredibly rare, accounting for just .2% — or 1 out of 500 — of all meteorite finds. The olivine crystals seen here are the result of small chunks of the asteroid's stony mantle becoming suspended and crystallized in the molten metal of its iron-nickel core.

REFERENCES:

Meteoritical Bulletin Entry for Glorieta Mountain