Polished Baltic Amber with an Insect

A very large nickel-iron meteorite (IAB). 2.26 kg, 12.3 cm



Property of a Bristol, UK, gentleman collector.

A crater field of roughly 26 craters was found in the vicinity of this crater, which is estimated to date to 4-5 thousand years BP. The age of the meteorite itself is thought to be c.4.5 billion years, formed as part of the development of this solar system. The largest two fragments, the 30.8-ton Gancedo and 28.8-ton El Chaco, are among the heaviest meteorite masses ever recovered on Earth. In 1576, the governor of a province in Northern Argentina commissioned the military to search for a large mass of iron, which, it was believed, the local people claimed had fallen from the sky and which they used for their weapon production. The expedition discovered a large mass of metal, which was assumed to be an iron mine, and brought back a few samples, which were described as being of unusual purity. Following the legends, in 1774, Don Bartolomé Francisco de Maguna rediscovered the iron mass. He himself did not believe that the stone had fallen from the sky and assumed that it had formed by a volcanic eruption. However, he sent the samples to the Royal Society of London. In 1990, it became protected by law.

Large point with bevelled edges, showing chevron-like crystal formations with contrasting banding. 717 grams, 19.5 cm



From Malawi. Property of a Bristol, UK, gentleman collector.

Cluster of small spherical crystals coated with druzy quartz. 5.9 grams total, crystal: 19 mm



From Mamuju area, Sulawesi Barat Province, Sulawesi, Indonesia. From the collection of Mr Carlos Bahamonde, Manchester, UK.