I M Chait have another of their great Natural History auctions looming this weekend, and for space enthusiasts that always brings meteorites to the table.
There are three one offer here of particular interest, all of which would make strong investments. Unusually, there are two high quality pallasites on offer:
Firstly, hailing from Kansas is a space rock from the site originally marked by the 1882 homestead claimants, Frank Kimberly and his wife Eliza. The site has yielded some of the finest pallasites to be found on Earth and remains a popular destination for meteorite hunters.
This example is a finely sliced and polished section of a meteorite from the site, one side further etched to show the stress patterning amidst a fantastic profusion of space gems, yellow-green olivine/peridot. It measures 14 1/2 x 10 7/8 x 1/4 inches and is estimated at $6,000-7,000.
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Secondly, there is a pallasite slice from the Glorieta Mountain in New Mexico. Meteorite hunters have travelled from all over the world to scour the Glorieta Mountain strewn field.
Etched on one side, it displays the fantastic stress patterning to the body, strewn with good-sized crystals of strange form, with fine clarity and a lovely golden color. It measures 8 x 5 1/2 x 3/32 inches and has been valued at $7,000-8,500.
Finally, the expected top lot of the sale is the end piece of an iron meteorite taken from the NWA 5549 meteorite which landed in Algeria. The attractive specimen is covered with an excellent fusion crust and silvery shades of interlocking Widmanstätten patterns.
It is estimated at $19,000-22,000 in I M Chait's auction which takes place in California and online this December 5.
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