Imilac Meteorite | From The Highest Desert On Earth — Partial Slice Of An Imilac Pallasite With Peridot

Pallasites are widely considered the most beautiful meteorites, and Imilac is among the most coveted. Less than 0.2% of all meteorites are pallasites, a rare type of meteorite whose silicate components crystallized. Like nearly all pallasitic meteorites, Imilac originated from the mantle-core boundary of an asteroid that broke apart during the early history of our solar system. The meteorite from which this slice was cut was found in the Atacama Desert atop the Andes, the highest desert on Earth. The crystals seen here are the result of small chunks of the asteroid’s stony mantle becoming suspended in the molten metal of the asteroid’s iron-nickel core. Cut and polished, the lustrous metallic matrix features translucent crystals of gleaming olivine and peridot (gem-quality olivine) ranging from emerald to amber hues. The meteorite’s exterior rim is composed of a thin band of molten olivine and metal — the result of frictional heating in Earth’s atmosphere following its billions-of-years sojourn through the solar system. Now offered is a choice specimen of one of the preeminent of pallasites, and the most exquisite extraterrestrial substance known.

PROVENANCE:

The Natural History Museum, London