9.55 ct SIKHOTE ALIN NICKEL IRON METEORITE – RUSSIA

Sikhote-Alin Meteoric Iron

Have you ever thought about faceting iron? Specifically, meteoric iron? It is as hard and unforgiving as material can get, yet we got it done. This is material from one of the most legendary and best-documented meteorite falls in human history. I have always been awestruck by the sheer power represented in these fragments; they traveled through the vacuum of space for eons only to impact Earth in a spectacular fireball in 1947. While most collectors keep these as raw, sculpted fragments, we decided to apply the lapidary arts to them. The result is a “gemstone” that is literally out of this world—a mirror-polished metallic beauty that carries the weight of the cosmos. It is a stone for the true collector, representing the absolute limit of what can be shaped by human hands.

The Heritage & Discovery

Historical Significance: The Sikhote-Alin meteorite fall is a hallmark event in modern science. Historically, it occurred on the morning of February 12, 1947, in the Primorye region of the Soviet Union. It was a massive iron bolide that broke apart in the atmosphere, raining down tons of iron across the snowy mountains. It represents one of the few times a large-scale meteorite fall was witnessed, photographed, and immediately studied by scientists. In the world of fine collectibles, it is the gold standard for iron meteorites, standing as a physical remnant of the core of a shattered planetesimal from the earliest days of our solar system.

Discovery: The fall was discovered by local villagers and foresters, followed quickly by the Soviet Academy of Sciences. The explorer and scientist Vasily Fesenkov led the early expeditions to the impact site, mapping over 100 craters. Scientifically, it is classified as a Group IIAB coarsest octahedrite. Its discovery provided a rare opportunity to study “fresh” meteoric iron that hadn’t been weathered by centuries in the Earth’s soil, preserving its pristine cosmic chemistry.

Important Sources: The only source for this legendary material is the Sikhote-Alin Mountains in Primorsky Krai, Russia. Fragments are found as either “individual” pieces with smooth, thumb-printed surfaces (regmaglypts) or “shrapnel” pieces torn apart by the force of the explosion. I prioritize the dense, stable “shrapnel” sections for faceting, as they offer the structural integrity needed to withstand the high-pressure polishing required to bring out their metallic brilliance.

Mineralogical Profile

Description: Sikhote-Alin is an iron meteorite composed primarily of an iron-nickel alloy. It sits at a 4 to 5 on the Mohs scale, but its metallic tenacity makes it feel much “harder” and more difficult to cut than stones of similar ratings. It is characterized by its brilliant metallic luster and its steely, silver-grey color.

One of its most identifying traits is its Widmanstätten pattern—a unique, interlocking crystalline structure formed by the extremely slow cooling of iron and nickel over millions of years in space. This pattern is only visible when the metal is etched with acid, but even in a faceted state, the “grain” of the cosmic metal is often visible. Because it is nearly 93% iron, it is exceptionally dense ($7.7$ to $8.0$ g/cm³) and highly magnetic. When polished to a mirror finish, it has a “liquid metal” look that is far more intense than any terrestrial steel. It is a stable, heavy, and culturally significant material that remains the definitive expression of “extra-terrestrial jewelry.”

Chemical Composition: Approximately 93% Iron (Fe), 5.9% Nickel (Ni), 0.42% Cobalt (Co), and 0.46% Phosphorus (P), with trace amounts of Germanium and Iridium.