Pallasites: gem crystals embedded in a metal matrix

Pallasites are a stony iron meteorite type and among the most visually striking material in the entire meteorite world, consisting of olivine crystals, the same mineral as gem quality peridot, suspended directly within a nickel iron metal matrix. They are thought to form near the boundary between a metal core and rock mantle inside a differentiated parent asteroid, making them a genuine window into a process that also happened inside earth itself, just on a body that was later shattered by collision rather than surviving intact. A thin slice of pallasite, backlit, will often show the olivine crystals glowing a translucent green, one of the more dramatic sights in the entire hobby.