Pallasite – PMG; Magadan District, Russia ( 62°54’ N, 152°26’ E)

Similar to lot 60 but smaller. The most beautiful extraterrestrial substances known are pallasites, formed at the boundary of the stony mantle and molten metal core of an asteroid. This material was liberated when the parent asteroid shattered following an impact with another asteroid — and a very small bit landed on Earth. As one might expect, samples of a boundary region within an asteroid are extremely rare and, indeed, they represent only about 0.2% of all known meteorites.

A sphere provides a perspective impossible to see on a flat surface, and now offered is a wondrous three-dimensional presentation of a pallasite — a specimen that can rightfully be considered an otherworldly crystal ball. Older than Earth, dazzling crystals of olivine and peridot (birthstone of August) are seen to great effect in this crystal ball from outer space.

Christie's would like to thank Dr. Alan E. Rubin at the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles for his assistance in preparing this catalogue.

39mm (1.5 in.) in diameter and 147.3g (0.33 lbs)