Sericho stony-iron pallasite meteorite end cut with a laboratory prepared face, weighing 136.2 grams and measuring approximately 66 mm x 55 mm x 19 mm. Like the Seymchan specimens offered in this auction, Sericho is a pallasite, but this example is not a prepared fragment. Rather, the egg-shaped specimen is an end cut that has been cut and polished in the laboratory to display its abundant interior yellow-orange olivine crystals on one side, and the natural patina of its exterior on the other. Accompanied by a specimen identification card from Aerolite Meteorites.
Pure olivine (peridot) is naturally green, but Sericho’s long sojourn on Earth has caused its crystals to terrestrialize (weather), thereby acquiring a different hue. Sericho was found in Kenya and was first recognized as a meteorite in 2017, though local lore has it that several of the largest masses were known to exist for generations. While pallasites are usually considered to comprise approximately 50% olivine and 50% nickel-iron, Sericho has a particularly high crystal density, with some estimates putting it at 80% olivine.
