The main elemental components of octahedrite meteorites are by no means rare with the vast majority being iron and nickel (with trace amounts of other elements including gallium, germanium and iridium). It is the crystalline pattern of these meteorites (called the Widmanstätten pattern) that makes them not only rare, but also beautiful and unmistakably of cosmic origin. You see, the alternating elongated lamellar bands of iron-nickel crystals running in groups at 60 degree angles forming an octahedron crystalline lattice occurred as molten asteroid bodies were allowed to cool over millions of years while they hurled through the zero gravity vacuum of space. This pattern is therefore unique to these meteorites and cannot be replicated on earth. Each meteorite has unique crystal sizes and is categorized based on the width of its lamellae. Thus, every meteorite is unique within this class of meteorites with pattern variations which are very discernable to the naked eye making each one uniquely beautiful.
Our pictured prototype is made from the oldest known meteorite which is estimated to have struck earth 1 million years B.C. in the arctic circle near the border of Sweden and Finland. The first piece of this meteorite was found in 1906 by a 10 year old boy who was tending cattle near the village of Kitkiöjärvi, Sweden and was named Muonionalusta after the nearby Muonio River. It is estimated to be 4.5 billion years old.
Our Muonionalusta meteorite cross is adorned in a border of 18 karat solid gold including the bail for use with a necklace. It is 1.5 inches tall, 7 eighths of an inch wide, and 2-3 sixteenths of an inch thick. The bottom edge of the gold border will be etched with RWMM 0001, reflecting our brand and the first serial number of this limited release series. We plan for a 24 karat palladium adorned cross from the Seymchan meteorite to be our second release.
If you are interested in an exceptionally rare and unique piece of jewelry with an ancient origin that dates back to near the beginning of time and which rained down from the cosmos around a million years ago, then this might just be your own personal symbolic beacon to the heavens above. Coming soon!
