Whether used in buildings or bridges, coursing through your veins as part of your blood, found in molten form in the core of the Earth, or as a key component in METEORITES, ALL of the IRON (Fe) in the Universe was formed in the cores of stars ripped apart by supernova explosions. Whether the by-product of the nuclear fusion process in massive stars creating IRON deep within its core, disturbing the delicate balance of gravity versus radiation pressure, or as a white dwarf star siphoning off material from a close binary companion until its mass becomes too unstable, the end result is the same...a spectacular and cataclysmic explosion known as a Supernova. Within the resulting intense heat and pressure as the star blows itself apart, all of the heavier elements of the Periodic Table, IRON and beyond, are created as the star is destroyed. Particles, blasted away, may seed the formation of a new stellar nebula or be swept up and captured as a new solar system forms. Over billions of years, this process has repeated itself enough times so that we find the abundance of heavier elements that have resulted in the Universe as we know it today, and even allow for US to be a living part of it! As larger and larger bodies form within this new solar system, the process of planetary differentiation causes heavier elements (Iron, Nickel, heavy metals) to sink to form the core while lighter material will float up to form the mantle, with the lightest forming the crust, whether this turns out to be a large asteroid or an even larger planet. Subsequent collisions with other celestial bodies (moons, asteroids) will cause some of these to be scarred or even broken apart. Some of the resulting fragments will be ejected into new orbits, potentially crossing the paths of other planets, where these may impact as a METEORITE. So, consider this, as you hold an IRON METEORITE in your hand, you are handling a piece of the core of a very large asteroid that no longer exists, all the result of a massive explosion of a star that blew itself apart billions of years ago, long before our Solar System began to form!
The first MUONIONALUSTA METEORITE was found in 1906 in northern
Scandinavia. It is believed to have landed over a million years ago, making it
one of the oldest known meteorites. As would be expected, whole specimens
generally have a strongly weathered surface. However, when properly prepared,
interior pieces expose a beauty to match the fascinating science behind it.
When IRON METEORITES are cut and the resulting surface is cleaned, polished, and
etched with a mild nitric acid, the crystalline structure of iron can
be revealed in a criss-cross series of lines known as its Widmanstätten pattern. This is further proof that this is indeed a
meteorite as this pattern is not visible in earth-based iron, the result of a
cooling rate from its original molten state to solid, on the order of a single degree over
a million or so years. Based on this, the MUONIONALUSTA METEORITE is classified
as a Fine Octahedrite and its resulting Widmanstätten pattern is
among the most beautiful, whether as a sliced fragment or cut and formed into
jewelry. Due to its high nickel content, these meteorites are particularly
resistant to corrosion, highly stable, and equally highly desired and collectible.
NOT important note: The first time we ever offered these for sale was more than a few years back, at the Texas Star Party, held outside of Fort Davis, Texas. Word must have traveled pretty quickly about these "silver bullets". Towards the end of the week, a masked fellow (dressed in white) rode up on his horse to check these out. He purchased every single one of them on the spot...except for these last two, inadvertently left behind at our office in Philadelphia. With a "Hi-yo, Silver! Away!", he rode off towards the horizon, never to be seen at the Star Party again. Who WAS that masked man? (No, not a word of this is true, well, except for only having 2 left...but I couldn't resist!)
A ruler
and a quarter are shown for scale and reference. For these "bullet" pendants, # 1 measures 1 11/16" tall, while # 2 measures 1 5/8" tall. Both measure 1/4" thick across the meteorite "bullet" part, and 3/8 thick across the thicker cap part. The look of these pendants is enhanced with a small CAMPO DEL CIELO METEORITE (from Argentina) on top. Pendant # 1 weighs 12.2 grams while # 2 is 11.6 grams, so there really isn't much difference between each specimen, other than the appearance of the Widmanstätten pattern on each one, and, obviously, each adorning CAMPO specimen. ADDITIONALLY, the MUONIONALUSTA METEORITE has been Rhodium Plated to give it a nice sheen but also to help protect it. Without this protective layer, the Widmanstätten pattern would quickly be rubbed smooth and vanish. Each pendant is
custom made by hand. The back of the cap is stamped with
the "shooting star" logo of STARBORN CREATIONS along with "925" to authenticate
that this is a Sterling Silver setting. To make this a complete gift, we also
include an 18" (with a 2" extension) snake chain. The chain that is included is Sterling
Silver plating over Brass, NOT solid Sterling Silver. As chain lengths and style are highly
personal, it is possible to easily replace the included gift chain with a
different one of your choosing, whether from your own collection or from your
favorite jeweler. An authentication card from STARBORN CREATIONS is included with each MUONIONALUSTA METEORITE pendant as well as an identification card for the CAMPO METEORITE, along with our contact information stamped on the back of each, for quick and easy reference, if needed.
The above pictures are of the actual item that you will receive. After deciding which item you want, be sure to include a note (with your purchase, if possible) through ebay, stating which numbered specimen you prefer. You may want to include a second choice in case someone else's order comes in first. This is because I usually leave the photos of a sold specimen in the listing after a customer receives that item. This way, the specimen and the photo can be compared to be certain that you are satisfied. All orders will be honored in the order in which payment is received. If no numbered preference is included, we will send whichever is in the "first position" at the time, since that is most likely the piece which you first saw.
All photos were taken with 3 daylight, color-balanced, compact fluorescent bulbs to provide even and consistent lighting results, whether photographed against a white or gray background. As a result, I have NOT had to adjust the brightness or contrast of the posted photos. They do show the most accurate color and shading nuances. However, the bright "hot spots" visible on the silver surfaces are the results of reflections from these lights. PLEASE NOTE: Our photo "studio" is controlled and maintained by Grace and Andi, who have generously contributed some of their own hair to "highlight and enhance" the background of some of our photos, since they do spend about 20 hours a day sleeping there. This was done without our knowledge or permission and we tried our best to remove all that we could before we started shooting...and we failed, miserably! While this IS an apparent "feature" of some of our photos, we will NOT be including any cat hair with your purchase!
STARBORN jewelry purchases are NOT eligible for our usual, multi-item postage refund, since the cost of postage is NOT figured in to the final selling price. We cover the cost of postage as our way of saying Thank You for your fine jewelry purchase. You can combine this with other non-STARBORN items that I am selling to receive a refund for each additional item after the first, once shipped, not including any STARBORN items. This refund reflects my savings in postage fees by combining your orders and is based on the total weight of the items. International buyers are eligible for the multi-item discount on all non-STARBORN purchases WHEN YOU USE THE SHOPPING CART FEATURE AND PAY FOR ALL OF YOUR ITEMS IN A SINGLE PAYMENT (which will ALWAYS help you to save on shipping for ALL multi-item international purchases) and receive free shipping to the Global Shipping Program Center in Kentucky, USA, but are responsible for all additional fees for postage, customs, tariffs, and/or any other import charges.
BUY WITH CONFIDENCE with our GUARANTEE! We have tried to present as clear a picture and description of each item as possible. However, if you are not happy with your decision, you can either exchange or return your STARBORN purchase, no questions asked, within 30 days of receiving it, as long as it is still in new, unaltered/undamaged condition, and returned with any/all accompanying paperwork or certification. Buyer is responsible for postage, both ways in the event of an exchange, and for return postage in the event of a return. All refunds on returns will be minus our original postage costs. Any questions? Contact me.