These Aletai meteorite spheres are carved from the Aletai iron meteorite, discovered in 1898 in the Altay Mountains of Xinjiang, northwest China. The meteorite is classified as a coarse octahedrite and formed more than 4.5 billion years ago within the metallic interior of an ancient asteroid. After polishing, the spheres are etched to expose the Widmanstätten pattern, a natural crystalline structure of nickel-iron metal that develops only during extremely slow cooling in space.
Every sphere displays its own unique network of metallic crystal lines across the surface. These patterns formed gradually as the asteroid cooled over immense periods of time, preserving the internal structure of planetary building material from the early solar system. Because of their distinctive etching and well-documented origin, Aletai meteorite spheres are highly sought after by meteorite collectors and science enthusiasts.