Aletai meteorite spheres are produced from the Aletai iron meteorite, first documented in 1898 in the Altay region of Xinjiang in northwest China. Classified as a coarse octahedrite, this meteorite formed more than 4.5 billion years ago inside the metal core of a differentiated asteroid. Once shaped and polished, the spheres are acid etched to reveal the Widmanstätten pattern, an interlocking nickel-iron crystal structure created by extremely slow cooling in space.
The etched surface of each sphere shows a distinct arrangement of metallic crystal bands. These structures formed as the parent asteroid cooled gradually over millions of years, preserving a natural record from the earliest history of the solar system. Aletai meteorite spheres are widely collected for their scientific significance, distinct structure, and verified extraterrestrial origin.