Fly in Baltic Amber

Possibly Ceratarges sp. showing long curving spines. 247 grams, 82 mm



From Atlas Mountains, Morocco, North Africa. From the private collection of Kenneth Machin (1936-2020), Buckinghamshire, UK; his collection of antiquities and natural history was formed since 1948; thence by descent.

A coarse octahedrite class IIB iron meteorite; cleaned and conserved. 9.76 grams, 25 mm



Acquired from the British Gemmological Institute, London, UK. Property of a Lancashire, UK, private collector. Accompanied by a British Gemmological Institute, London, UK, plastic identification card, and a Gems TV authenticity and information card/booklet.

Sikhote-Alin is an iron meteorite that fell on February, 13, 1947 on the Sikhote-Alin Mountains in eastern Siberia. Though large iron meteorite falls had been witnessed previously and fragments recovered, never before in recorded history had a fall of this magnitude been observed. An estimated 70 tonnes of material survived the fiery passage through the atmosphere and reached the Earth. The strewn field for this meteorite covered an elliptical area of about 1.3 km2 (0.50 sq mi). Some of the fragments made impact craters, the largest of which was about 26 m (85 ft) across and 6 m (20 ft) deep. Fragments of the meteorite were also driven into the surrounding trees. The Soviet Union issued a stamp for the 10th anniversary of the Sikhote-Alin meteorite shower and this reproduces a painting by P. J. Medvedev, a Soviet artist who witnessed the fall: he was sitting in his window starting a sketch when the fireball appeared, so he immediately began drawing what he saw.

A mixed group of polished snowflake obsidian and brightly-coloured turquenite (turquoise howlite) pebbles. 450 grams total, 34-45 mm

Very fine condition.

Mineral Imports, London, UK. Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's). From the private collection of John Meredith, acquired since the 1990s; thence by descent.