Lot 1003
Meteorite Seymchan Pallasite. Two meteorites weighing 323 Kg were found in 1967 in Seymchan, a Magadan district in far eastern Russia. Originally, Seymchan was believed to be just an iron-nickel meteorite but just recently olivine crystals were found in parts of some of the Seymchan meteorites which makes it a far rarer Pallasite. Pallasites are literally gemstones from outer space containing olivine crystals mixed in with the iron-nickel matrix. This large 50mm in diameter 495 gram sphere has been polished and etched to display the lovely and distinctive Widmanstatten pattern found on a Seymchan as well as a couple of long troilite inclusions that are surrounded by Schreibersite. The brass colored Schretibersite is a rare iron-nickel phosphide mineral found only in iron-nickel meteorites. Even though Seymchan is a pallasite, no olivine crystals show on this cube. Widmanstatten patterns are unique to iron-nickel meteorites and are not found on any rocks on earth because the parent asteroid had to have been relatively small so that the pressure and temperature of the iron core would deformed and also large enough to allow a slow cooling rate in the core of only a few degrees per million years. Widmanstatten patterns are created by the separation of two allows of nickel, Kamacite low in nickel and Taenite with a high nickel content. The resulting crystalline structure of intersecting bands can be used to identify the meteorite with the bands being smaller with higher nickel content. Only the rare Glorietta Mountain Pallasite has a similar Widmanstatten pattern to Seymchan. This is a museum quality sphere that is mounted on a custom Lucite stand for display.
Allow $20 for domestic shipping.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500.
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| Realized $738 |
