
48. FUKANG — THE MOST BEAUTIFUL EXTRATERRESTRIAL SUBSTANCE KNOWN
Pallasite - PAL
Fukang, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (44° 26'N, 87° 38'E)
Found 2000 / TKW: 1 ton
Recovered in China’s Gobi Desert, Fukang contains some of the largest and most translucent crystals of any pallasite. Comprised of olivine and peridot (gem-quality olivine) from an asteroid’s mantle suspended in a nickel-iron matrix from the core, pallasites originate from the mantle-core boundary of an asteroid that shattered after an enormously energetic collision with another asteroid.
While suitable for subdivision, if left as is this would surely be the conversation piece of any room it inhabits. Now offered is a spectacular example of a pre-eminent pallasite.
64 x 64 x 41mm (2.5 x 2.5 x 1.66 inches) and 922.3 grams (2.0 pounds)
Estimate $35,000 – 42,500 * Reserve $30,000