Nickel-Iron
Sante Fe County, New Mexico
Fewer than one percent of all meteorites are pallasites (a stony-iron type of meteorite containing crystals of olivine suspended in a nickel-iron matrix.) These are arguably the most resplendent of all meteorites. In 1965, the Father of Meteoritics, Dr. H.H. Nininger, befriended a teenage Steve Schoner and regaled him with tales of Glorieta Mountain. Years later, Schoner's recovery of tiny pallasitic fragments at the site fueled his belief in the existence of a larger mass. In an ongoing treasure hunt, Schoner subsequently made dozens of trips to the rugged environs of Glorieta Mountain. After seventy searches over a period of fifteen years, Schoner's efforts finally paid off with the discovery of the 20-kilogram mass from which this complete slice originated. As material is lost from the cutting, grinding and polishing processes, only 11 kilograms of this historic meteorite exist—and fully half of this material is in the world's most eminent museums. While pallasites are extremely rare, Glorieta Mountain is rarer still, as it is chemically and morphologically anomalous—so much so that researchers were compelled to classify Glorieta as its own subtype. The fascinating shape of the present specimen evokes a man-made object, with a naturally formed hole, which is nearly centered and a shape that is nearly rectangular.
Weighs 398g; Measures 4 ½ x 3 x 1in