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Pallasite – PAL (transitional)
Magadan District, Siberia, Russia
169 x 163 x 2 mm (6.66 x 6.5 x 0.1 in.)
185.9 grams (0.33 lbs)
Now offered is an example of an olivine-rich Seymchan specimen. Representing less than 0.2% of all known meteorites, pallasites are the most beautiful extraterrestrial substance known. Like all pallasites, Seymchan formed at the boundary of the stony mantle and molten iron core of an asteroid that was liberated following a catastrophic collision with another asteroid. The crystals of olivine seen here which range in hues from lemon to amber are the result of particles of the stony mantle becoming enveloped by the asteroid’s iron-nickel core, after which the materials then cooled and crystallized. This specimen also features a good deal of peridot (gem-quality olivine and the birthstone of August).
Apart from the cut edge seen at the lower left, this partial slice is delimited by its natural exterior rim. Seymchan is known to contain a good deal of the mineral schreibersite, which many researchers believe was the primary source of phosphorus — delivered to Earth via meteorites billions of years ago — to enable life on our planet. Older than Earth itself, this is a select partial slice of the mantle/core boundary of an asteroid and among the most alluring otherworldly substances known.
Provenance: Ignat Baraxhin Collection of Meteorites, Finland.
