Aletai meteorite spheres are formed from genuine material of the Aletai iron meteorite, discovered in 1898 in the Altay region of Xinjiang, northwest China. This meteorite is classified as a coarse octahedrite and originated over 4.5 billion years ago within the metallic core of a differentiated asteroid. After being shaped into spheres and polished, the surface is etched to reveal the Widmanstätten pattern, a natural nickel-iron crystal structure produced by extremely slow cooling in space.
Each sphere shows a different arrangement of metallic crystal bands that developed within the asteroid as it cooled over vast periods of time. These patterns preserve the internal structure of early solar system material, making Aletai meteorite spheres appealing to collectors, educators, and anyone interested in planetary history.