Pallasite meteorite with visible olivine crystals from USA

A polished Pallasite meteorite from the USA, with clearly visible golden-yellow to greenish olivine crystals in an iron-nickel matrix.

Pallasites are the rarest form of meteorites. They form at the boundary between the liquid iron core and the silicate mantle of a differentiated asteroid. There, olivine crystals sink into the molten metal and solidify together.

Well-known American pallasite finds come from Brenham (Kansas), Glorieta Mountain (New Mexico), and Imilac. They are coveted by collectors for their unique visual combination of metallic luster and transparent gemstone.

The olivine crystals are chemically identical to terrestrial peridot. When light passes through a thinly sliced section, they glow in warm honey and lime tones, an effect that makes the pallasite species unique.

The material is around 4.5 billion years old, a piece of the asteroid's core-mantle boundary, older than Earth itself.

A top-category collector's item. Pallasite pieces are traded internationally in the five- to six-figure range, depending on size and olivine content.