This particular piece displays the beauty of the Muonionalusta meteorite in a twofold fashion. On the rear side, you have the meteorite in its natural form showing its etched faces developed while entering the atmosphere. The front face and edges are cut and polished to bring out the beautiful Widmanstätten pattern.
Muonionalusta is a meteorite classified as fine octahedrite which impacted in northern Scandinavia, west of the border between Sweden and Finland about one million years BCE. The first Muonionalusta was found in 1906. The Muonionalusta is one of the oldest known meteorites at roughly 4.5 billion years old. It is part of the iron core or mantle of a planetoid, which shattered into many pieces upon its fall to our planet. On Earth the meteorite has experienced four ice ages. It is mainly comprised form a combination of Nickel and Iron and has a very distinct pattern of etching know as the Widmanstätten pattern. This is a fascinating specimen and an item of interest among many collectors.
Comes with Certificate of Authenticity.
Dimensions: 2-7/8"L x 1-3/8"W x 4"H, Weight: 2.40 lb./1,088 g
