A PARTIAL SLICE OF A STUNNING NEW PALLASITE . ...

Description

A PARTIAL SLICE OF A STUNNING NEW PALLASITE
Meteorite Type: Pallasite (PAL)
Seymchan, Magadan District, Russia
Discovered in 2005
Pallasites are believed to come from the core-mantle boundary of a small planet or asteroid that was destroyed during, or shortly after, the formation of our solar system. This means that pallasites date from the very beginning of our solar system, and radioactive fission-track dating confirms ages of 4.1-4.4 billion years for a large sampling of known pallasites. Pallasites are made up of a combination of silvery nickel-iron core metal and dense silicates - usually olivine in its gorgeous crystalline gem form, called peridot. Peridot is a highly sought-after gemstone that was prized by the ancient Egyptians who used it extensively in their royal jewelry. Peridot can range in color from emerald green to orange to dark smoky jet, and all of these colors are present in this incredible meteorite slice. The emerald green and orange crystals in this slice are quite gemmy and exhibit a gorgeous schiller effect when the slice is rotated in the light. The nickel-iron alloy of meteorites is comprised of an interlocking network of octahedral crystals which can be exposed in two dimensions by slicing the meteorite and etching it with acid. The resultant intersecting patterns of geometric shapes and lines is truly gorgeous and are called Widmanstatten figures. Widmanstatten figures occur only in meteorites and are the primary tool in correctly identifying iron meteorites. This slice has large areas of these stunning patterns which, when contrasted with the lovely green, orange and dark olivine crystals, paint a breathtaking picture of the structure and mechanics of a planet's interior. Pallasites literally provide a glimpse under the hood of our planet's engine! This spectacular slice measures 5 3/8 x 5 x 3/8 inches thick and weighs 775 grams.

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