Reviews
5.15" Fukang Pallasite (175.68 g) Slice - Queen Of The Pallasites!
This is a 5.15" wide (175.68 gram) slice of possibly the most beautiful meteorite ever discovered, the Fukang Pallasite. It has been sliced very thin to allow for the gigantic, gemmy, olivine crystals to glow when backlit. The vast majority of this stunning pallasite is locked away in museum and private collections, so it's rare for a piece this nice to come up for sale.
About The Fukang Pallasite
The Fukang pallasite which has earned the name "Queen Of The Pallasites" is widely considered the most beautiful pallasite ever found. It was found in the Xinjiang Province of China in 2000 and features absolutely massive, gem-quality peridot crystals. These olivine inclusions range in color from a rich amber to a vivid green, with some crystals displaying both hues, depending on light and angle. The crystals' clarity and quality are especially remarkable, and when thinly sliced and backlit, they produce an ethereal, stained-glass effect that reveals the meteorite’s inner beauty in radiant detail.
The meteorite itself weighed over a ton when first found, with the main mass tipping the scales at approximately 1,003 kilograms, making it one of the largest and most valuable pallasite meteorites on record. The vast majority of the Fukang pallasite is locked away in museum collections with very limited material remaining on the market.
The Fukang pallasite which has earned the name "Queen Of The Pallasites" is widely considered the most beautiful pallasite ever found. It was found in the Xinjiang Province of China in 2000 and features absolutely massive, gem-quality peridot crystals. These olivine inclusions range in color from a rich amber to a vivid green, with some crystals displaying both hues, depending on light and angle. The crystals' clarity and quality are especially remarkable, and when thinly sliced and backlit, they produce an ethereal, stained-glass effect that reveals the meteorite’s inner beauty in radiant detail.
The meteorite itself weighed over a ton when first found, with the main mass tipping the scales at approximately 1,003 kilograms, making it one of the largest and most valuable pallasite meteorites on record. The vast majority of the Fukang pallasite is locked away in museum collections with very limited material remaining on the market.
About Pallasites
Pallasite meteorites are a class of stony-iron meteorites. They were once believed to have originated at the core-mantle boundary of asteroids that shattered through impacts, but a recent hypothesis is that they are a mixture of core and mantle minerals.
Pallasite meteorites consist of olivine (peridot) crystals surrounded by iron-nickel matrix. Upon acid etching, some pallasites display interweaving structures known as Widmanstätten patterns (or Thomson lines) in the metallic matrix. These structures are iron-nickel alloy crystals, typically kamacite and taenite, that cooled over millions of years in the vacuum of space.
Pallasites are quite rare: only about 200 are known, and only four have had observed falls. This represents less than 0.2% of all classified meteorites!
Pallasite Care
Pallasites are even more susceptible than most iron meteorites to rusting and deterioration due to moisture in the atmosphere; proper care includes keeping them in moisture-free environments. This is particularly important in areas with high humidity, such as Florida. All pallasite material we sell has been stabilized in some way, which will help with this issue, but care still needs to be taken to keep your treasure in good condition. Keep pallasites stored in a moisture-free environment, preferably with a corrosion inhibitor such as silica gel beads or a dehumidifier.
Pallasite meteorites are a class of stony-iron meteorites. They were once believed to have originated at the core-mantle boundary of asteroids that shattered through impacts, but a recent hypothesis is that they are a mixture of core and mantle minerals.
Pallasite meteorites consist of olivine (peridot) crystals surrounded by iron-nickel matrix. Upon acid etching, some pallasites display interweaving structures known as Widmanstätten patterns (or Thomson lines) in the metallic matrix. These structures are iron-nickel alloy crystals, typically kamacite and taenite, that cooled over millions of years in the vacuum of space.
Pallasites are quite rare: only about 200 are known, and only four have had observed falls. This represents less than 0.2% of all classified meteorites!
Pallasite Care
Pallasites are even more susceptible than most iron meteorites to rusting and deterioration due to moisture in the atmosphere; proper care includes keeping them in moisture-free environments. This is particularly important in areas with high humidity, such as Florida. All pallasite material we sell has been stabilized in some way, which will help with this issue, but care still needs to be taken to keep your treasure in good condition. Keep pallasites stored in a moisture-free environment, preferably with a corrosion inhibitor such as silica gel beads or a dehumidifier.
SPECIES
Pallasite (PMG)
AGE
LOCATION
Xinjiang Province, China
SIZE
5.15 x 4.63", .11" thick, 175.68 grams
CATEGORY
ITEM
#308274
