A MASSIVE ORIENTED SEYMCHAN WITH EXTRATERRESTRIAL GEMSTONES IN METALLIC MATRIX

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£ 63 000
Auction dateClassic
06.04.2022 14:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
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ID 737571
Lot 82 | A MASSIVE ORIENTED SEYMCHAN WITH EXTRATERRESTRIAL GEMSTONES IN METALLIC MATRIX
The flight-oriented specimen covered in regmaglypts, some fusion crust, and flow lines. Large pockets of gemmy yellow-to-green olivine crystals are seen throughout. Supported on a custom stand.

The most beautiful extraterrestrial substances known are pallasites. They formed at the boundary of the stony mantle and molten core of an asteroid. Upon shattering following an impact with another asteroid, this “borderline” material became liberated, and a bit has landed on Earth. As one would expect, pallasites are extremely rare and, indeed, they represent only about 0.2% of all known meteorites. The first Seymchan meteorites were found near a streambed in the Magadan district of Siberia. Most Seymchan meteorites are non-descript, prosaic masses until they are cut to reveal their splendor, which must never happen to this rare oriented specimen.

Christie's would like to thank Dr. Alan E. Rubin at the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles for his assistance in preparing this catalogue.
330 mm x 320 mm 290 mm (13 x 121/2 x 111/2 in.)
42.4kg.
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
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23.03.2022 – 06.04.2022
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