Pallasite Meteorite Slice
Meteorite; extraterrestrial origin
Olivine crystals suspended in a nickel-iron matrix — a slice of a shattered world, lit from behind.
Stewardship Records
- Classified as a stony-iron (pallasite) meteorite.
- Full classification and provenance dossier available on inquiry.
Formation
Pallasites are thought to form at the boundary between a differentiated asteroid's metallic core and its rocky mantle, then to reach Earth after the parent body is broken apart.
A backlit pallasite slice belongs where light can pass through its olivine; an Archive piece may be displayed upright near a window or a directed lamp.
Significance
Pallasites are a rare class of stony-iron meteorite in which green-gold olivine crystals are set within a nickel-iron metal matrix.
Cut and polished slices are among the most sought-after of all meteorite specimens, valued for their beauty and their extraterrestrial origin.
The metal, when etched, can reveal a Widmanstätten pattern — a crystalline structure that forms only over millions of years of extremely slow cooling in space.
Continue looking